Russia and Iran criticise US Caspian task force as study outlines joint sanction evasion
Russia and Iran have criticized the United States' new 'Iron Gate' task force aimed at monitoring and blocking Iran's trade routes in the Caspian region, calling it a clear threat to international law.
As Iran issued fresh warnings about a widening military confrontation, Moscow and Tehran reacted strongly to the creation of a new US military task force to monitor land and sea transit routes north of Iran and in the Caspian Sea, expanding its blockade efforts.
Russia's Foreign Ministry described Washington's plan as 'a clear threat' to the rights and interests of the littoral states, adding that security in the Caspian Sea is an internal matter concerning only the five states bordering it.
US Task Force Expansion
The reaction came after United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on November 7 the creation of the 'Iron Gate' task force, whose stated aim is to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons and dual-use items to Iran via land borders and the Caspian Sea.
CENTCOM stressed that US forces are working around the clock to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping, enforce an 'Iron Maritime Blockade' against Iran, and work with partner institutions to prevent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from using land routes and the Caspian Sea for moving military equipment.
Iran-Russia Coordination
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said after meeting the Russian ambassador in Tehran that the two sides had discussed countering 'unilateral US measures' and the 'Iron Gate' programme.
Gharibabadi stated that 'Tehran and Moscow stress the need for coordination and cooperation in the face of common threats,' adding that 'the interests of the littoral states will also be served by maintaining stability and security in the Caspian.'
We consider this latest escalatory and provocative step a blatant violation of the norms of international law and we declare our full support for the position of the Iranian authorities that continued economic pressure will not succeed in collapsing Iran's economy.
Sanction Evasion Evidence
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the 'Critical Threats Project' said in their latest joint assessment that 'Iran and Russia are cooperating to counter US efforts to stop weapons shipments to Iran via the Caspian Sea and land routes.'
According to the think tank's analysis, the Caspian Sea is out of Western monitoring bodies' reach, allowing sanctioned Russian cargo ships to move consignments from the ports of Astrakhan and Olya to Iranian ports like Anzali, Nowshahr and Amirabad.
Maritime traffic data shows that after loading in Russian ports, these ships switch off their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) when approaching the shores of both countries to conceal their cargoes.
Last summer, Ukraine's Security Service announced that its long-range drones had targeted two cargo ships in the Caspian Sea, which Kyiv claimed were involved in transferring military equipment between Iran and Russia.
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