The United States military has formed a specialized unit to choke off Iranian land-based supply lines. United States Central Command announced the plan on Saturday to expand an existing naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
The newly established Task Force Iron Gate aims to stop Iran from moving advanced weapons across ground corridors. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper stated the unit will reinforce the maritime blockade.
Headquartered in Florida, the task force will work alongside other government agencies. Officials will target dual-use technologies, sanctioned goods, and illegal revenue streams moving across land borders and the Caspian Sea.
Michael Mulroy, a former US deputy assistant defence secretary for the Middle East, said the unit will track weapon shipments and energy transportation routes. He said potential future escalation ordered by US President Donald Trump could target this infrastructure.
Mulroy explained that economic and infrastructure targets differ from Operation Epic Fury, which centers on military sites. These actions form a broader strategy to cut off the Iranian government from funding and combat capabilities.
Simultaneously, CENTCOM reported disabling a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday. A military aircraft struck the stern of the St. Kitts-flagged merchant ship after the crew ignored orders to abandon targeted spaces.
Enforcement actions since July have forced 147 commercial vessels to comply with redirection orders. US forces have disabled five other merchant ships that refused to stop.
Iranian state media reported multiple explosions on Saturday. The official news agency IRNA reported two blasts on Qeshm Island and several explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Jask.
Trump confirmed recent strikes on Qeshm Island but described them as minor. He maintained that Tehran remains interested in reaching an agreement while Qatari-mediated negotiations continue.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported that two oil tankers hit sea mines near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. Iranian state television stated the vessels suffered severe damage after sailing through an unsafe area with their navigation systems turned off.
