US Task Force to Block Land Routes Into Iran

The United States announced plans to create a task force to block land routes into Iran, which it says are used to transport weapons and illegal goods, amid ongoing war with the country. The 20-member team, based in Florida, will work with government agencies to prevent transit of advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, and sanctioned materials across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea. Centcom chief Brad Cooper said the effort will further limit Iran's ability to finance terrorism and resupply its armed forces. Iran's Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hossein Mohebi dismissed the plan, saying it will fail and not collapse Iran's economy. The U.S. already claims its naval blockade has prevented over $25 billion in Iranian crude oil exports, part of broader efforts to "asphyxiate" Iran's economy following Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.