Pro-government supporters wave Iranian flags and flags depicting the portrait of late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei in front of an anti-American sign depicting jailed President Donald Trump during a night rally in central Tehran, Iran, November 5, 2026. The billboard reflects a campaign by pro-government supporters to kill the US president in retaliation for the killing. A memorial to Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli military operation during the 40-day war against the Islamic Republic.
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The U.S. military announced on Saturday that it is launching a special task force to help Iran crack down on the movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned materials across land borders and through the Caspian Sea, following a months-long naval blockade against Iran.
Task Force Irongate, first reported by Reuters, will be based in Tampa, Florida and work with other U.S. government agencies. Beyond arms transfers, the focus will also be on stemming the flow of dual-use technology used by Iran and disrupting what the U.S. government calls illicit revenue sources.
The creation of the special committee is the latest example of how the United States is still looking for ways to increase pressure on Tehran, more than eight months after it began its war with Israel against the Islamic Republic.
Although the U.S. attack has devastated Iran’s conventional military and the U.S. naval blockade has severely restricted oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, Iran remains a formidable threat to the region and its rulers are tightening their grip on the country.
Iranian secret network
Since January 2025, Iran has been building a secret network of military agents to import at least $2 billion in hardware, explosives and heavy trucks, bypassing both the U.S. naval blockade and Western sanctions, according to a Reuters investigation.
According to a Reuters investigation, the material entered Iran on cargo ships crossing the Caspian Sea from Russia, on trucks from Central Asia and on cargo planes from China.
U.S. Central Command said the task force would coordinate with other government agencies. A U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the agency is expected to include not only intelligence agencies but also the Treasury Department, State Department and Justice Department.
“CENTCOM’s increased cooperation with U.S. interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish its military,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Central Command, said in a statement.
Central Command estimates that the Iranian naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion of crude oil.
Still, Iran has shown resilience and is pleased with the results of the U.S. midterm elections, which punished U.S. President Donald Trump’s Republican Party and handed control of Congress to opposition Democrats. Vice President J.D. Vance blames the Iran war for his election defeat and appears to question whether the conflict is worth it.
Mediators have stepped up efforts in recent days to end the war between Iran and the United States, amid fears that war could flare up again after the U.S. midterm elections.
President Trump has threatened to carry out new attacks against Iran, putting Gulf states at risk as Iran threatens widespread retaliation against Gulf infrastructure.
Reuters reported that US intelligence assessments in recent months showed that a new attack on Iran would not fundamentally change Iran’s negotiating position or lead to the collapse of the Iranian government.
