US Deploys 20-Member Task Force to Cut Iran Land Transit Routes

The US military announced a new 20-member task force to disrupt land transit routes into Iran, targeting shipments of weapons and illicit materials. The move expands on the existing naval blockade of Iranian ports during the eight-month war. The joint civilian-military team, based in Florida, will coordinate with US agencies to prevent the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, and illegal revenue streams across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea. US Central Command chief Brad Cooper stated the effort will constrain Iran's ability to finance terrorism and rebuild military capabilities. The naval blockade, imposed early in the conflict, has already halted around $25 billion in Iranian crude oil exports. Tehran has restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade route for roughly a fifth of global oil, choking worldwide energy supplies.