U.S. President Donald Trump posted footage of a U.S. airstrike that destroyed the B1 bridge in Karaj — described as the tallest bridge in the Middle East — marking a significant escalation in the ongoing military conflict between the two countries. The strike targeted a newly opened highway connection between Karaj and Tehran and forms part of a broader U.S. campaign against Iranian infrastructure and military supply routes.
The B1 bridge, a 136-metre-high structure in Alborz province that had been inaugurated earlier in 2026, was hit in at least two separate attacks, causing partial collapse. A U.S. defense official confirmed the operation, describing the bridge as a planned military supply route used to transport ballistic missiles and attack drone components to Iranian forces. Trump shared footage of the destruction on his Truth Social platform, writing that the bridge had come "tumbling down, never to be used again" and warning "much more to follow." He urged Iran to reach a deal "before it is too late," signalling further strikes if no agreement is reached.
The bridge strike followed Trump's prime-time address on April 1, in which he outlined what he described as a final phase of military operations and warned of intensified attacks over the coming weeks if Iran refused to negotiate.
According to Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency, the attack killed at least eight people and wounded 95 others. Iranian state television had initially reported two civilian deaths following the first strike. The second strike hit while emergency teams were still at the site responding to the initial attack. Axios, citing a U.S. defense official, described this as the first confirmed U.S. strike against civilian infrastructure in Iran since the conflict began. U.S. officials maintained the bridge was selected for military reasons, stating it was used to move missile components from Tehran to weapons launch sites in western Iran.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the military rationale. He said that striking civilian structures, "including unfinished bridges," would not compel Iran to surrender, and described the attack as reflecting "the moral collapse of an enemy in disarray." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly warned of retaliation, with an affiliated outlet publishing a list of bridges in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi as potential targets.
The strike marks a documented expansion of U.S. targeting from military installations to transport infrastructure. The attack also caused reported power outages in parts of Alborz province. The B1 bridge had been described by Iranian media as an engineering landmark and served as a commercial corridor connecting the province to the capital. Its destruction carries civilian and economic implications beyond the stated military objective.
The attack is part of the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that has been under way for several weeks, targeting naval, air force, missile, nuclear, and IRGC command structures. Regional officials and analysts noted that extending strikes to civilian infrastructure near major urban centres carries heightened risks of civilian harm. While the U.S. has proposed terms to end the conflict, Iranian officials have rejected the conditions and denied that formal negotiations are taking place.
At the time of reporting, no de-escalation steps had been announced by either side. Both sides continued to signal readiness for further action, with military operations under way and diplomatic channels unresolved.
Muskan Zahra
