US Central Command established the task force's "Iron Gate" to interdict Iran's ground supply routes.
On November 7, US Central Command Commander Admiral B. Cooper ordered the creation of the task force's Iron Gate, which will be located in Tampa (Florida, USA). The unit will have a team of about 20 civilian and military experts.
The group will coordinate operations with other departments in the country to prevent the movement of weapons, dual-use technologies, protected materials and illegal financial flows across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.
The group's stated mission is to complete the current naval blockade of Iran. The naval blockade has already prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of oil, Cooper said, and the new task force is designed to cut off land routes through which Tehran can smuggle weapons and components to restore military production.
The main direction is the Caspian Sea region and Iran's land borders with neighboring countries, including routes through Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asian countries. The group will work in close coordination with US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, rather than carrying out independent combat missions.