U.S. task force targets Iran's land routes to block weapons and revenue

The U.S. military announced on Saturday it will create a 20-member task force to disrupt land routes into Iran, aiming to block shipments of weapons and illicit materials. The task force, based in Florida, will coordinate with U.S. agencies to prevent the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, and illegal revenue across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea. It expands on a naval blockade that has prevented over $25 billion in Iranian crude oil exports. Iran's Revolutionary Guard dismissed the effort, saying it will fail to collapse the economy. The move follows an eight-month war and Washington's "economic asphyxiation" campaign in response to Tehran's restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.