ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Sunday that US efforts to restrict Tehran's trade routes through the newly announced Task Force Iron Gate would fail to cripple its economy, saying it had made the necessary measures to counteract them.
“The United States will never be able to impose the economic blockade it seeks, regardless of the different terms and plans it uses to repeatedly promote it,” Hossein Mohebi, an IRGC spokesperson, said in a statement carried by the semi-official Fars News Agency.
“We have made the necessary arrangements to maintain trade and connections with our neighboring countries,” said Mohebi. “We have good relations with our neighbors and have established routes for these exchanges.”
The latest reaction from the IRGC official comes as the Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) ordered the formation of Task Force “Iron Gate” on Friday.
The unit will seek to prevent the movement of weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.
The latest move comes amid escalating tensions since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on February 28. Washington has since imposed a maritime blockade on Iranian ports.
The US has also intensified financial pressure through Operation Economic Outcast, launched in August to target financial networks accused of supporting Tehran and the IRGC.
In addition, Washington’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has sought to choke Iran’s oil exports that previously relied on the Strait.
Task Force Iron Gate is a further expansion of these efforts, targeting Iran's use of land routes and the Caspian Sea to further inhibit Tehran’s war effort.
CENTCOM said in a statement late Saturday it had disabled a cargo vessel in breach of its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the statement, the vessel, identified as the M/V Huda, had ignored repeated warnings and attempted several times to violate the blockade after visiting an Iranian port.
“A U.S. military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of St. Kitts-flagged M/V Huda, disabling the ship after CENTCOM forces directed the crew to abandon targeted spaces,” the statement said.
The IRGC navy hit back in a Sunday statement, claiming it had disabled three vessels. “Since the early hours of this morning, three oil tankers accused of violating regulations have suffered explosions and severe fires while travelling through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz,” IRGC said in a statement carried by Fars.
