U.S. Central Command has created Task Force Iron Gate to disrupt overland and Caspian Sea routes into Iran, extending a months-old naval blockade, as President Donald Trump said renewed large-scale strikes were highly unlikely if talks produce what he called a strong agreement^1,2,3.

CENTCOM announced the unit on Saturday, saying it would work with other U.S. agencies to stop advanced weapons, dual-use technology, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue from crossing Iran's land borders and the Caspian^2,5. Adm. Brad Cooper, the command's chief, said the force reinforces the sea blockade^2,5. The National, citing CENTCOM, said the Tampa, Florida, staff numbers about 20 civilians and service members and that the command has not announced closed land borders or U.S. troops along them⁵.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday that Iron Gate was in full force and, with the blockade, that little was getting into or out of Iran^1,3. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps dismissed the effort. Spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said the Americans cannot achieve their objectives of imposing severe economic pressure through this approach⁵. CBS News reported Iran's military called the task force word play¹.

CENTCOM has not said whether the unit will use military force on land^1,5. The National noted Iran has seven land neighbors and that a CENTCOM graphic highlighted crossings toward Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey; the Caspian is shared with Russia and others where the United States has no established naval presence⁵. Al Jazeera reported CENTCOM separately said U.S. forces disabled the St. Kitts-flagged cargo ship M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman after a blockade breach attempt².

In a CNN interview on Sunday, Trump said restarting open war depends on whether Iranian leaders sign a very strong agreement and that it was highly unlikely that would be necessary^1,3,4. He said three U.S. aircraft carriers were in the region and that 38 bridges were in U.S. sights^3,4. Euronews reported he also said the United States had won in Iran⁷. The Pentagon's count of U.S. service members killed since the war began in late February is 23, according to Euronews, which said Trump claimed there had been no U.S. fatalities⁷.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Florida before a Group of 7 meeting in Paris, said the United States and Iran were not on the verge of a breakthrough and that Iranian demands were unacceptable^1,8. Iran's Foreign Ministry, according to Euronews, said Washington must end sanctions, the naval blockade and the war before negotiations and that a two-day proposal to restore security in the Strait of Hormuz remained on the table⁷.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said mediators had not traveled since last week's U.S. midterm elections^1,4,6. Trump is scheduled to meet Qatar's prime minister at the White House on Monday^6,8. DW reported Qatar's prime minister said Saturday that both sides were still working toward an agreement⁴.

The war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes in late February, has included intermittent fighting, a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and Iranian efforts to restrict the Strait of Hormuz^1,3,4. What remains unclear is how Iron Gate will be enforced on land and whether indirect talks resume after the midterms^1,5,6.