Tampa, November 7. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has created Task Force Iron Gate, which will work to prevent Iran from moving advanced weapons and sanctioned materials by land and across the Caspian Sea, the command said.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper ordered the group formed on November 7. It is an internal staff of about 20 civilian and military personnel in Tampa, Florida, which will work with other US agencies, Mediaite writes. Its task is to stop the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian, according to the command’s statement. Cooper said the group reinforces the success of the naval blockade and will limit Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories and replenish its military.
The naval blockade announced in July covers Iran’s ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The new group shifts pressure to land and to the Caspian, where Iran has maritime links with Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. In published reports the Caspian is named together with Iran’s land borders; specific countries and routes are not listed.
For Kazakhstan this directly concerns two ports. The first vessel with 5,000 tonnes of rapeseed oil left Aktau for Iran on April 4, Inbusiness.kz wrote; according to an industry association, Kazakhstan is able to send 3–4 vessels a month. In June Kazakhstan confirmed its readiness to consider providing Iranian companies with port areas, berths and terminals in Aktau and Kuryk, the Ministry of Trade and Integration said. Trade between the two countries grew by 26.4% in 2025 to $430.2 million but fell almost 30% in the first quarter of 2026, Forbes Kazakhstan wrote. The outlet also noted a shortage of ferry capacity in Aktau and Kuryk. How the new CENTCOM group will affect Kazakh shipments is not stated in the command’s releases.
What we know now: The group was created on November 7, has about 20 people and is based in Tampa. Its remit is Iran’s land borders and the Caspian; the naval blockade has been in force since July. The command has not yet said what measures the group will apply in the Caspian or in which countries.
Background: There are five littoral states on the Caspian: Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Aktau and Kuryk are Kazakhstan’s ports on the Caspian. The International North–South Transport Corridor carried 3.5 million tonnes in 2025, 12% more than in 2024, the Ministry of National Economy reported.
