Iran drops missile-range limit and warns of new weapons as U.S. launches task force

Iran has abandoned its self-imposed limit on ballistic missile range and warned that it is developing new weapons that could surprise the world. The announcement came hours after the U.S. military unveiled a task force intended to disrupt Iranian weapons shipments and illicit trade.

Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said the country was no longer bound by its previous 2,000-kilometer limit, or about 1,240 miles, according to The Associated Press.

U.S. Central Command said its new initiative, Task Force Iron Gate, will target the movement of advanced Iranian weapons, dual-use materials and illicit revenue across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.

Adm. Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, said closer coordination with U.S. government agencies would further limit Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories and replenish its military.

Behnam Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the effort could involve targeted strikes on people facilitating the trade, along with political pressure on neighboring countries and financial pressure on institutions supporting Iran’s illicit commerce. He noted that the task force was being established within CENTCOM headquarters.

The IRGC dismissed the initiative as “wordplay,” according to Iran’s Fars News Agency, and said Tehran had already prepared for further pressure and coordinated with neighboring countries.

Iran warns of new weapons and underground facilities

Mohebbi said Iran was developing weapons capable of inflicting serious damage in a future conflict with the United States and Israel. At a news conference in Tehran on Saturday, he said new capabilities would be revealed if another round of fighting broke out.

He also warned that if the United States or Israel miscalculated and triggered another confrontation, Iran’s response would be more severe and could leave its opponents weakened for years.

Even under the former range limit, Iranian missiles could reach the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, much of Egypt, and parts of Greece and the Balkans. In March, Iran unsuccessfully attempted to strike the joint U.S.-British base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, around 2,500 miles away.

Mohebbi said Iran planned to unveil additional underground missile facilities, which officials have called “missile cities.” Iran says the installations would help the IRGC continue weapons production during wartime and protect manufacturing from future attacks.

The spokesperson also claimed Iran’s Aerospace Force continued producing missiles and drones during recent fighting, relying on domestic expertise rather than imported weapons or technology copied from captured equipment. He described the country’s growing independence in weapons production as a major achievement.

Taleblu said the Caspian Sea had become a key route for sanctions evasion by both Iran and Russia. While Iranian officials frequently emphasize the country’s military self-sufficiency, he said, missile production was significantly constrained during the 40-Day War, leaving Tehran dependent on imports to rebuild its capabilities, particularly at scale and speed.

He described efforts to restrict trade by land and sea as a significant combined pressure on Iran.

U.S. pressure focuses on Iran-Iraq trade

Washington has also stepped up pressure on Iran’s regional trade routes, including crossings along the Iraqi border. Baghdad has reportedly resisted U.S. calls for broad restrictions.

The Institute for the Study of War said Iraq had closed just one crossing with Iran, despite reported American pressure to shut down most of them. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Reuters that the U.S. Treasury had urged Iraq to close all but two crossings as part of Washington’s campaign to increase economic pressure on Tehran.

Iraq closed the al-Shayeb crossing in the country’s southeast on Oct. 21 for a security review and to install equipment intended to prevent the smuggling of prohibited materials.

Political sources in Iraq told Agence France-Presse that Washington wanted Baghdad to close most crossings to limit trade and financial exchanges that could help Iran withstand sanctions, according to the institute. It also reported that Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh, was urging tribal leaders in Maysan province to press Iraqi officials and leaders of the Shiite Coordination Framework to reopen al-Shayeb.

Al-Sadegh is reportedly affiliated with the IRGC’s Quds Force, which oversees the group’s foreign operations. The institute said Baghdad’s limited action likely reflects its effort to balance relations with Washington against the influence of Iranian-backed political factions.