‘Iron Gate plan is merely wordplay’: Iran mocks US military initiative to disrupt supply routes

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has dismissed a new US military initiative aimed at restricting the movement of goods through Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea. The exchange comes amid continuing tensions over shipping routes and Washington’s blockade, and shows both sides contesting whether economic pressure can weaken Iran.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi called Task Force Iron Gate “merely wordplay” in comments to Fars, reported by Reuters on Sunday. He said an earlier US prediction that Iran’s economy would collapse within two weeks had not come true, and said Tehran had prepared for economic pressure and maintained close ties with neighbouring countries. US Central Command announced the task force on Saturday.