US airstrikes hit a vital railway link connecting China and Iran, but what isn’t being reported is that it is still open.
The entire world is completely focused on the Hormuz Strait, but few seem to know anything about the direct connection between China and Iran via rail. One of the reasons people know so little is because the mainstream media has very little to say about it, so it comes as no surprise that there has been almost no reports about the Ogtay Khan railway bridge in Iran’s northeastern Golestan province that was hit on Thursday.
The Ogtay Khan bridge is a strategic point on a five nation corridor connecting Iran to China. BTJ missionaries work along the ancient Silk Road of China and understand the importance of the ancient route for carrying people and goods. The railway opened last year to very little fanfare and cut the amount of time for shipping goods by sea in half – from 30 days to 15. BTJ shared about it as the first train arrived in Iran with people and goods.
One month ago, we asked if anyone could answer why the trains were still running during the war even though sanctions had been imposed on the waterways. No one could answer the question.
Now, after six months into the war, the US has finally attacked the railway, but photos from the strike indicate that the damage do not seem to be extensive or permanent.
In fact, it seems that the train services are only temporarily suspended between Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad, but from Mashhad to China, the route is still be open, meaning that the railway connecting China and Iran is still in operation.
BTJ is working directly with underground house churches on the ground in Iran and continues to support their efforts during the war.
