Trump announces Task Force Iron Gate to choke off Iran's trade routes, enforce restrictions on weapons supplies

Washington: United States President Donald Trump has announced that "Task Force Iron Gate" is currently active against Iran, claiming that the effort, combined with an expansive US naval blockade, has successfully choked off virtually all incoming and outgoing trade for the Islamic Republic.

Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday, the US President said, "Task Force Iron Gate is in full force and effect in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Coupled with history's greatest Naval Blockade, very little gets into, or out of, Iran! President DJT".

According to a statement issued by CENTCOM, the task force, named Task Force Iron Gate, was established on Saturday under the direction of CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper. The team will comprise approximately 20 civilian and military personnel based in Tampa, Florida.


The newly established task force will coordinate with other US government agencies to prevent the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue streams across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.

CENTCOM further stated that the US naval blockade had prevented Iran from exporting more than USD 25 billion in crude oil in recent months. It said strict enforcement at sea continued against all ships entering or departing Iranian ports.

The announcement outlined two parallel US measures targeting Iranian trade and supply routes. While Task Force Iron Gate will focus on Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea, the existing naval blockade, announced in July, covers Iranian ports along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

According to the details provided by CENTCOM, the naval blockade aims to prevent imports and exports to and from Iran, with the exception of humanitarian aid.

The newly announced task force, meanwhile, will focus on monitoring, detecting and disrupting illicit movements of weapons systems, dual-use technologies and sanctioned materials.

The announcement comes amid statements from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force highlighting its domestic defence manufacturing capabilities, technological developments and military self-reliance.

Speaking during a commemorative event, IRGC Aerospace Force spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi outlined three strategic pillars driving the force's rapid expansion: indigenous scientific localisation, domestic industrial mass-production, and absolute self-sufficiency.

Mohebbi asserted that domestic technological breakthroughs have allowed Tehran to meet its internal military requirements while supplying international markets with advanced equipment, citing the domestically developed Arman missile, the 358 loitering drone, and the Khordad-3 surface-to-air missile defence system.

"This development served as the catalyst for sweeping changes... transforming us from an importer of military weaponry into an exporter in the aerospace sector," Mohebbi was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.

The developments highlight the contrasting positions, with CENTCOM announcing measures to restrict the movement of Iranian military-related materials and the IRGC Aerospace Force publicly emphasising its domestic production capabilities and defence exports.