U.S. forms task force to curb land shipments into Iran

The U.S. military said it will establish a 20-member task force to identify ways to disrupt land routes that it alleges are used to move weapons, dual-use technologies and illicit revenue into Iran. The team, composed of civilian and military personnel and based in Florida, will work with other U.S. agencies to prevent the movement of advanced weapons systems, sanctioned materials and illegal funds across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea, according to a statement posted on X on November 7, 2026.

U.S. Central Command chief Brad Cooper said the effort will "further constrain Iran's ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military." He added that the task force builds on a naval blockade of Iranian ports that has, according to CENTCOM, stopped Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps rejected the plan, with spokesperson Hossein Mohebi stating that the United States "will never be able to impose the economic blockade" and that it would be "powerless to block" communication channels between Iran and neighboring countries. Mohebi said the United States would not achieve its goal of exerting extreme economic pressure to cause the collapse of Iran's economy.

The task force follows an August-announced U.S. campaign described as an "economic asphyxiation" effort aimed at further straining Iran's economy in response to Tehran's restrictions on vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz.