US military targets Iranian defense system in latest round of limited strikes

President Trump stated on Friday that the U.S. has launched new, "minor" defensive strikes against air defense systems in Iran. This follows previous U.S. military strikes on Monday targeting Iran’s Qeshm Island, which houses an Iranian naval base in the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Hill.

The U.S. military is also establishing Task Force Iron Gate to support efforts to restrict the movement of advanced weapons systems and sanctioned materials across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea. The Jerusalem Post reports that the task force will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will consist of approximately 20 civilian and military personnel.

According to Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command, the group will coordinate with other U.S. government agencies to focus on dual-use items and illegal revenue streams to constrain Iran's ability to finance terrorism and rebuild weapons factories.

CENTCOM estimates that its months-long naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil to date, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, Jerusalem Post, Al-Monitor — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.