U.S. Central Command has launched a new effort to cut off Iran's overland supply lines, announcing the creation of Task Force Iron Gate on Saturday, November 7. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper ordered the task force, which is an internal staff of about 20 civilian and military personnel based in Tampa, Florida. Its job is to work with other U.S. government agencies to stop advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illegal revenue from moving across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea. Cooper said the move builds on the success of the naval blockade and will make it harder for Iran to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish its military.

The new task force extends a pressure campaign that began with the naval blockade in July, which CENTCOM says has kept Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil. CENTCOM did not say which border crossings or neighboring countries the task force would focus on, although a graphic released with the announcement highlighted Iran's borders with Turkey, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan. Some online posts described it as a new land blockade, but CENTCOM's own description is of a small coordinating staff, not a force posted along the borders. The announcement comes as Iran has demanded that the blockade be lifted as a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while diplomats have also been trying to broker a deal. The big questions now are how the task force will actually enforce its goals, and how Iran's neighbors will respond.