America just opened a new front against Iran on land

The US military just set up a new task force to stop Iran moving weapons by land.

Not by sea. By land.

Central Command, the US military command for the Middle East, announced Task Force Iron Gate a day ago. Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, ordered it formed.

It's a small team. About 20 civilian and military staff, working out of Tampa, Florida.

So what does it actually do?

It coordinates with other US government agencies to stop Iran moving advanced weapons systems, dual-use technology, sanctioned materials and what CENTCOM calls illegal revenue streams. Across Iran's land borders. And across the Caspian Sea.

Admiral Brad Cooper says quote "the establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea".

That sea blockade has been running since July. US forces have been stopping ships in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that CENTCOM says are carrying Iranian oil in violation of sanctions.

CENTCOM says that blockade has stopped more than $25 billion worth of Iranian crude oil being exported. Worth knowing: that's CENTCOM's own number. Nobody outside the US military has confirmed it.

So why does Iran need a land option at all?

Because a sea blockade only covers the sea. Iron Gate is built to close the routes the navy can't reach. The roads and rail lines running out of Iran. And shipping across the Caspian Sea to the north.

The same day the task force was announced, CENTCOM disabled a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.

The ship is the M/V Huda, flagged to St Kitts and Nevis. CENTCOM says its crew had called at an Iranian port, then tried more than once to break through the blockade, ignoring repeated warnings. US forces fired precision munitions at the ship's stern. CENTCOM says the crew was told to evacuate that part of the ship first. Nobody was hurt.

And that's not a one-off.