US warplanes bombarded an unfinished suspension bridge in the Iranian city of Karaj, killing at least eight people and injuring nearly 100 others during a national holiday. The attack has sent shockwaves through the country, amplified by stark threats from US President Donald Trump to systematically dismantle Iran's civilian infrastructure.
The B1 bridge, located west of Tehran, was struck twice by American forces on Thursday. According to Iranian media, the surrounding area was crowded with civilians who had gathered for outdoor picnics to celebrate the 13th day of the Nowruz holiday.
Following the strike, Trump took to Truth Social to issue an aggressive ultimatum to Tehran. He warned that the US military "hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran," threatening to target electric power plants and other vital bridges unless Iranian leadership swiftly agrees to his terms to end the ongoing war.
"New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!" Trump declared.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi fiercely condemned the bombings on X (formerly Twitter). He argued that attacking unfinished bridges and civilian infrastructure exposes the "moral collapse" of an enemy in disarray, insisting that such tactics will not force Iranians to surrender.
Responding directly to Trump's earlier threat to bomb the nation "back to the stone ages," Araghchi pointedly questioned if the US president was truly prepared for the global economic fallout of turning back the clock to an era when "there was no oil or gas being pumped in the Middle East."
The escalating aerial campaign has left Iranian citizens grappling with overwhelming despair, made significantly worse by a draconian 35-day internet blackout imposed by state authorities. A few residents have managed to slip communications to the outside world using smuggled Starlink satellite systems—a highly illegal workaround that carries a potential two-year prison sentence.
Speaking anonymously under the blackout, citizens across the political spectrum expressed a growing sense of dread.
"I feel helpless," a young woman from Tehran said in a tearful voice message. "[Trump] posts shamelessly about attacking our bridge. I don't know how much further this is going to go. Why is no-one standing up to him? He's really taking us back to the Stone Age."
Another young resident lamented watching the continuous destruction of his homeland, feeling entirely powerless to stop the devastation.
Even some Iranians who generally support the US-Israeli military campaign against the regime expressed confusion and anxiety over the targeting of civilian infrastructure. One man, who described himself as pro-war, questioned the strategic value of bombing a municipal bridge designed to ease local traffic, admitting the strike had left him deeply unsettled. Another woman rationalized the attack, hoping the US military had a hidden justification.
Meanwhile, hardline supporters of the Iranian establishment erupted in fury online. Many are now demanding immediate retaliatory strikes against US military bases in neighboring nations, arguing that the true objective of the US and Israel is the complete annihilation of the Iranian nation, rather than the simple degradation of its military assets.