U.S. Central Command announced on Saturday a new task force designed to blockade Iranian ground transit routes used to transport illegal shipments.
Task Force Iron Gate will work with U.S. agencies to help prevent the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illegal revenue streams across Iran’s borders and the Caspian Sea amid war.
The move shows that the commander of CENTCOM is committed to finding alternative methods of disrupting Iranian forces as President Donald Trump considers further military action against the Islamic regime.
“The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea,” Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement. “Strengthening CENTCOM’s collaboration with U.S. interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military.”
The U.S. military’s naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz “has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil,” CENTCOM noted. The naval blockade remains in place.
While diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran are actively underway, Trump confirmed on Friday that there were limited, “minor” strikes against an Iranian air defense system on Qeshm Island. The island is located in Iran’s crucial waterway for oil shipments. The president has not yet given the order for more aggressive attacks on Iran.
Over two hours after CENTCOM revealed its new task force, former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent publicly disagreed with the action, saying it will only escalate tensions with Iran further and undermine peace talks.
“The Iranians have made it clear that they won’t accept negotiations while under threat of escalation,” he posted on X. “Iranian leadership has stated there will either be war or there will be peace, but they will not sit idly by and wait for the next attack & they won’t tolerate being slowly strangled by sanctions.”
Kent resigned from his administration position in March, weeks after the U.S. and Israeli militaries first bombed Iran. He argued that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation” and that the conflict started due to pressure from Israel and its American lobby.
Nearly eight months after his resignation, Kent called CENTCOM’s announcement about additional sanctions on Iran “brash provocation.”
The former counterterrorism official pointed to the midterm election results as evidence that the “American people do not support this war.” Notably, he said Trump’s decision to appoint Stephen Miller as the new White House chief of staff may have been made to help end the war.
Vice President JD Vance has been engaging in indirect talks over the past two weeks to end the conflict, Axios reported on Friday. Trump confirmed talks concerning Iran were taking place.
Kent claimed CENTCOM is “working directly against what President Trump is attempting to accomplish” in the Middle East, which is why he believes Trump needs new advisers.
“It’s become abundantly clear that the President needs to install a new national security team, one that’s not tied to starting the war and that can instead end it,” Kent said. “To do that, he needs people who can & will get the national security state under control, not submit to it.”
MASSIE GIVES HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT ULTIMATUM AS GOP PINS BLUE WAVE ON IRAN WAR
Secretary of State Marco Rubio serves as the permanent national security adviser, working with War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Miller, among other officials.
Trump has said he plans to fire some Cabinet members without disclosing them. Hegseth is in a highly vulnerable position the longer the Iran war lasts. When the House returns on Monday, the voting process for Hegseth’s articles of impeachment is expected to commence.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
