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US strikes in Iran extend beyond Hormuz, hitting overland trade nodes
A strike reported in Iran’s northern Golestan province targeted an overland transport link, underscoring how maritime disruption can shift trade routes to rail corridors tied to China and Russia.
SCMP Economy reports that after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice and struck a Cyprus-flagged container ship, the United States launched a third round of strikes in a week, hitting some 140 targets. Most of the attacks were concentrated along Iran’s southern coast overlooking the strait, including areas such as Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask and Qeshm.
The outlet also points to a different logic behind one earlier strike. On July 9, US cruise missiles hit the Aq Taqeh Khan bridge in Aq Qala in Iran’s northern province of Golestan, an attack confirmed by the Revolutionary Guard’s provincial command.
SCMP Economy argues the Golestan strike mattered beyond coastal defense because it targeted a node on an overland corridor linking Iran to Central Asia, Russia and China. The piece describes rail links north and east as key arteries for trade if sea routes are disrupted.
According to SCMP Economy, as maritime access narrows, logistical flows can shift onto these alternative routes, which connect to Chinese and Russian networks that have grown more active amid the Strait of Hormuz disruption.