Iran Condemns US Strike on International Rail Corridor

Iran Accuses US of ‘Gross War Crimes’ Following Rail Corridor Strike

WebDesk

09 July, 2026 13:07

Iran Accuses US of ‘Gross War Crimes’ Following Rail Corridor Strike

Tehran has strongly condemned the latest US strikes on civilian infrastructure as “gross war crimes” after cruise missiles hit multiple locations, including a bridge on a strategic international rail corridor in northwestern Iran, saying the attacks violated the UN Charter and the ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries.

In a strongly-worded statement on Thursday, the ministry said the attacks amount to “gross war crimes” and flagrant violations of the UN Charter and the war-ending memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Iran and the United States.

It affirmed the unwavering determination of Iran’s courageous people to defend their territorial integrity, sovereignty, and national security.

The US carried out “criminal” attacks against Iran over the past 48 hours under the false pretext of giving response to alleged incidents involving several transgressing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, it added.

These strikes, the ministry emphasized, not only constitute a clear violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter but a gross breach of paragraphs one and five of the MoU on ending the war.

They also constitute a pretext to justify Washington’s continued non-compliance with the memorandum, it noted.

The statement said the attacks came at a time when Iran’s “wise and courageous” nation demonstrated its firm determination to confront the malevolent enemies and to safeguard the country’s power, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity through its magnificent and unparalleled presence in the historic farewell ceremony for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“The malicious and psychopathic ruling administration of the United States, in order to compensate for its inability to comprehend the greatness and glory of Iranian patriotism and loyalty to the ideals of the [Islamic] Revolution, has resorted to insults, lies, and military aggression, including by targeting the railway route to Mashhad,” the ministry said.

The ministry further expressed disgust at the “vile rhetoric” of the US president and other American officials against the Iranian nation and announced that their explicit acknowledgment of non-compliance with the June 18 MoU “constitutes yet another clear testament to the treachery, wickedness, bellicosity, and malice” of the United States.

It reiterated Iran’s determination to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity and to punish the aggressors.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will under no circumstances allow the treachery, bullying, and decadence of the US ruling administration to undermine Iran’s national rights and interests,” the statement pointed out.

Earlier, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said the US struck a railway bridge in Aq-Qala, an area northeast of Tehran in Golestan Province.

The bridge lies on the international China–Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Incheh Borun rail corridor, which enters Iran through its northeastern border before linking Gorgan to Tehran. The route forms part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, connecting the Chinese city of Xi’an with the Iranian capital.

Iranian media have reported that at least 65 freight trains traveled from China to Iran via the corridor last year. They added that foreign media reported a threefold increase in rail traffic after US imposed illegal blockade on Iranian ports in April.

The report also said Russia began shipping goods to Iran through the route in late 2025, prompting analysts to view the strike as more than a conventional military attack.

Previous attacks on Iran’s rail infrastructure had been repaired within days, with six railway bridges restored in less than 96 hours following strikes earlier this year.

US attacks kill 14 people

The US also carried out military strikes on several coastal bases and civilian sites in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province and the port city of Mahshahr on Wednesday, in an open violation of the MoU.

Iran’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that at least 14 people were killed and 78 others injured in US strikes on five Iranian provinces over the past two days despite a ceasefire memorandum of understanding.

Meanwhile, the head of the Public Relations of Khorasan Railway, Javad Me’raji-Far, told IRNA on Thursday that passenger train services on the Tehran-Mashhad route have been disrupted following a “criminal” attack by the US on a part of the railway line early this morning.