Iran suspends Tehran-Mashhad rail service after US strikes; Egypt condemns Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait

CAIRO – 9 July 2026: Iran suspended rail service between Tehran and Mashhad after US strikes. Meanwhile, Tehran launched attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation, prompting Egypt to condemn the escalation and reaffirm support for Gulf security.

Iran suspended this rail service early on Thursday, according to Iranian state television, after US strikes reportedly targeted railway infrastructure in a new round of military operations against the Middle Eastern country.

A US official told Axios that the US military fired cruise missiles at two railway bridges in northeastern Iran during late Wednesday’s strikes.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out an additional round of strikes to “further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz.”

According to CENTCOM, US forces struck around 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline.

“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” CENTCOM added.

The latest operation followed strikes on Tuesday, during which US forces said they hit about 80 military targets, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats, after accusing Iran of violating a ceasefire by attacking three commercial vessels transiting the vital strait.

Iranian state media reported that the US strikes targeted Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Lavan Island, and other locations along the country’s southern coast near the strategic waterway.

In response, Iran launched attacks against US forces stationed in Bahrain and Kuwait early today.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said its armed forces detected and successfully intercepted three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile, and 10 hostile drones that entered the country’s airspace.

The ministry said debris from the intercepted projectiles caused material damage at several locations and injured one person, who is receiving medical treatment and is in stable condition.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s military said its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed several “treacherous” Iranian aerial attacks.

Egypt strongly condemned renewed Iranian attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain, calling them “a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable violation” of the countries’ sovereignty.

In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Cairo’s full solidarity with Kuwait and Bahrain and its support for all measures they take to safeguard their security and sovereignty.

The ministry stressed that the security of the Arabian Gulf states is an integral part of Egyptian and Arab national security, reiterating Egypt’s rejection of any actions that threaten the stability and security of sisterly countries or further inflame regional tensions.

Following the US attacks on Iran on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump declared the interim agreement with Iran “over.”

“I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them any more. They’re scum … They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people and they’re vicious, violent people,” Trump told reporters.