Airstrikes Hit Inland Northern Iran; Tehran-Mashhad Railway Suspended

While the United States has been conducting airstrikes centered on the southern coast, challenging Iran's claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz, damage from airstrikes was also reported in the northeastern inland region on July 9, local time.

AFP reported on the same day, citing Iranian state television, that U.S. airstrikes have led to the suspension of railway operations connecting the capital, Tehran, and Mashhad.

Iranian state television reported that Iranian railway authorities attributed the suspension to "criminal acts resulting from hostile actions by the U.S. and Israel," adding that alternative transportation is being provided for passengers stranded by the service disruption.

Previously, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced via state television that the U.S. had attacked two bridges in the eastern region leading to Mashhad to diminish the significance of the funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

AFP explained that the suspension of rail services occurred just hours before the final burial rites for Khamenei, which are set to take place in Mashhad.

Khamenei died in a U.S. airstrike on February 28.

His body is scheduled to be moved to and buried at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, his hometown and a holy site for Shiite Muslims in northeastern Iran.

Iran did not hold a funeral for Khamenei during the war, but has been conducting large-scale memorial events since July 4, moving his body from the capital, Tehran, through the central religious city of Qom and the Shiite holy city of Karbala.

Despite having signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. has been conducting airstrikes on various Iranian military strongholds in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman since July 7, accusing Iran of attacking merchant vessels passing through the area.

The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, announced on X (formerly Twitter) on this day that it had struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets along the coastline, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage facilities, naval assets, and military supply infrastructure, confirming additional strikes following those of the previous day.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.