Iran Begins Construction of "Defensive Tunnel" in Tehran Amid Rising Tensions

The tunnel, located near the city centre, will link a station on the Tehran metro to the Imam Khomeini hospital.

Photo Credit: Reuters

Iran is building a "defensive tunnel" in the capital Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday, following strikes by Israel on targets in the country, The Caspian Post reports, citing Reuters.

The tunnel, located near the city centre, will link a station on the Tehran metro to the Imam Khomeini hospital, thus allowing direct underground access to the medical facility.

"For the first time in the country, a tunnel with defensive applications is being built in Tehran," the head of transport for Tehran City Council told Tasnim.

Last month, Israel carried out its first officially-recognised strikes in Iran, hitting missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in the country's west, as a response to Iran's Oct.1 attack on Israeli territory.