The Pentagon announced Saturday that it is establishing a new task force to block Iranian weapons shipments and sanctioned goods crossing the country’s land borders and the Caspian Sea, expanding US restrictions on Tehran as diplomatic negotiations continue alongside American military strikes against Iranian targets.
The new operation, designated Task Force Iron Gate, will be headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and coordinate with other federal agencies to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons, restricted materials, and technologies with both civilian and military applications.
First reported by Reuters, the initiative will also target financial activities Washington considers illegal, extending enforcement beyond the naval blockade imposed on Iran several months ago.
The announcement comes more than eight months after the United States and Israel launched their war against the Islamic Republic.
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Meanwhile, President Donald Trump confirmed Friday evening that American forces had struck Iranian air defense equipment on Qeshm Island, describing the operation as limited.
“They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device, and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five,” President Trump said.
Despite the attack, President Trump maintained that “we are not fighting” and said Washington had made “a lot of progress with Iran” in negotiations mediated by Qatar.
An Iranian report on Friday described explosions on Qeshm Island attributed to missiles launched toward the Strait of Hormuz.