On July 9th, The Times of Israel reported:
Overnight US strikes on Iran hit the Aq Taqeh Khan railway bridge in northern Iran’s Golestan province, Fars news agency says, a trade link to Tehran’s strategic partners China and Russia.
Fars says the route that goes on to pass through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan has been an important land link to China that gained further relevance during this year’s blockade of Iran’s Gulf ports by the US.
It adds that the route has also been used by Russia for cargo shipments to Iran since late 2025.
A friend on X posted:
This wasn’t just a random target; it was the bypass valve for the “North-South” transport corridor, which Tehran has been desperately relying on to move goods while its maritime ports remain under U.S. blockade. By vaporizing this rail link, Washington has signaled that it’s not just squeezing Iran’s navy in the Strait of Hormuz—it’s systematically strangling the regime’s entire land-based logistical network.
This strike is a masterclass in American strategic dominance. For months, the regime in Tehran has tried to use land routes through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to circumvent the U.S. naval pressure, hoping to keep its economy on life support despite the blockade.
Fars News Agency is Iran says that the bridge will be repaired quickly. If it is repaired quickly, we will have to bomb it again–it is Iran’s route around the blockade.