Tehran. The ongoing fierce conflict between Iran, Israel and the US in West Asia has caused huge damage not only to military bases but also to Iran’s civilian infrastructure. According to the latest reports, about six important airports of Iran have been badly affected in the fire of this war. Among these, Mehrabad International Airport of the capital Tehran has witnessed the most devastation. About 17 aircraft have been damaged due to air attacks, due to which the country’s air transport has completely collapsed.
Along with air routes, Iran’s vast rail network is also bearing the indirect brunt of this war. Although there are few reports of direct attacks on railway lines, the conditions created by the war have jammed the wheels of trains. Iran has a railway network of approximately 13,000 kilometers long, operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI). The power crisis has deepened across the country mainly due to the targeting of missile sites, oil depots and nuclear facilities. Power outages and fuel shortages have paralyzed signaling systems and electric lines in many major cities, including Tehran.
Due to security concerns and damage to infrastructure, rail services in western and central Iran have either been completely canceled or are being operated on a very limited basis. The repair work is expected to take months. Due to the fear of war, there has been a huge decline in the number of passengers and freight traffic has also been badly affected. Iran’s rail network is considered one of the largest systems in the Middle East. Its total length is 12,998 kilometers, which also includes the famous Trans-Iranian Railway. This network has 174 major bridges, 224 tunnels and about 360 stations. Under normal circumstances, about 2.90 crore passengers travel through this network every year and 33 million tonnes of goods are transported. Currently, important international links like Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran are also in trouble due to this turmoil, which has caused a major blow to regional trade.