US Central Command (CENTCOM) is establishing a task force to help disrupt shipments of weapons and military equipment into Iran through its land borders and across the Caspian Sea.
Ordered by CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper, Task Force Iron Gate will consist of up to 20 military and civilian personnel based in Tampa, Florida.
The team will coordinate with other US government agencies to target the movement of advanced weapons, sanctioned materials, illicit financing, and technologies with both civilian and military applications.
Cooper said the initiative would complement the US naval blockade by limiting Iran’s ability to rebuild weapons factories and replenish its military supplies.
CENTCOM revealed that the blockade had already prevented more than $25 billion in Iranian crude oil exports in recent months, while US forces continued to enforce restrictions on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports.
Iran’s Overseas Procurement Network
Despite years of US sanctions and the more recent naval blockade, Iran has continued to obtain military supplies through overseas procurement networks and indirect trade routes.
Some analysts argue that sanctions have also strengthened the economic influence of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards by pushing trade into less transparent channels where military-linked networks hold an advantage.
An October investigation by Reuters found that the country relies on more than 5,000 military-linked entities to acquire equipment and materials.
One such entity imported $2.3 billion in goods between January 2025 and June 2026, including explosives, ingredients for rocket fuel, aircraft engine parts, and trucks that could be converted into missile launchers.
The purchases were allegedly financed through overseas intermediaries and shell companies using proceeds from illicit Iranian oil sales, with suppliers often paid from funds already held abroad to avoid scrutiny to sanctions checks.
Shipments entered Iran through several routes, including the Caspian Sea from Russia, overland corridors through Central Asia, and freight aircraft from China.
