US Strike Hits Tehran-Mashhad Railway Bridge, Suspending Passenger Service

Iran's national railway operator said Thursday, July 9, 2026, that passenger service between Tehran and Mashhad was suspended after a US and Israeli missile strike hit the Aq Tekeh Khan bridge in Golestan province. According to Mehr News Agency, the bridge was struck early Thursday and repair teams were dispatched immediately, while stranded passengers were being bused to Mashhad, a major pilgrimage destination. The line forms part of Iran's rail corridor to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and onward to China, a route that has gained added importance as an alternative trade channel amid restrictions at Iran's southern ports, and has also been used for Russian cargo shipments into Iran. This is the first reported strike on Iranian civilian rail infrastructure since the Islamabad Understanding ceasefire was signed.