US Strikes Strategic Railway Bridge Linking China and Iran Amid Rising Tensions

Iranian news agency Fars reported on Thursday that the United States launched a cruise missile attack on a strategic railway bridge in Iran. This bridge is a critical part of a trade corridor connecting China, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Russia, serving as a vital economic lifeline for regional commerce. Unlike typical military targets, this infrastructure supports international trade and is considered civilian.

This incident marks the second attack on railway bridges in Iran within the same week. Earlier, the Ak-Taka Khan bridge, located on the China-Turkmenistan-Iran railway corridor used by Russia for cargo shipments since November, was also targeted. Due to a maritime blockade on Iran, freight train traffic along this route from China has reportedly tripled.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards noted that two bridges en route to Mashhad were attacked, disrupting train services between Tehran and Mashhad. Technical teams have been dispatched to repair the damage. The attacks come amid heightened tensions following the assassination of Ali Khamenei, a key figure linked to the "Roar of the Lion" operation.

Recent leaks from the Revolutionary Guards, exposed by the hacker group Prana and reported by Iran International, revealed an international smuggling network involving a Chinese company and shell companies in Turkey and the UAE. This network procures chemicals for ballistic missile production, circumventing sanctions. The Chinese energy firm Haokun Energy, central to this network and involved in selling Iranian oil to Chinese refineries, is under US sanctions for financing the Quds Force. Haokun reportedly owes over a billion dollars to the Revolutionary Guards and is attempting to repay this debt by supplying weapons and missile fuel chemicals.