The tallest bridge in the Middle East was heavily damaged on Thursday after a series of airstrikes blamed on the United States and Israel struck a major transport link west of Tehran, only hours after Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Age." Iranian officials said several people were injured and at least two were killed in the attack on the under-construction B1 bridge in the city of Karaj.
The strike marked one of the most significant blows to Iran's infrastructure since the conflict began, and came as Western and Asian nations, including India, held urgent talks on restoring navigation through the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Tallest bridge targeted twice within an hour
Iranian state media said the B1 bridge, a 1,050-metre-long, $400 million project featuring a 136-metre central pillar, was hit twice within an hour. The second attack reportedly occurred as emergency crews were responding to the initial strike.
State TV described the attackers as the "American-Zionist enemy," saying the first blast caused two civilian deaths. The bridge, part of a major highway intended to connect the capital with northern regions, had been expecting an inauguration soon and is considered the highest bridge in West Asia.
Local media, including Fars News Agency, reported that explosions reverberated through central, western and eastern parts of Tehran following the strike. An AFP journalist confirmed that multiple blasts shook nearby neighbourhoods, sending residents into panic.
Trump releases strike video and escalates warning
Shortly after the attack, Mr Trump posted a video of the explosion on his Truth Social platform, declaring, "The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again - Much more to follow! IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!"
The warning echoed remarks he made a day earlier, when he said the war was nearly concluded but threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard" if its leadership refused to comply with US demands.
UK hosts virtual talks on Hormuz crisis
The attack coincided with virtual discussions hosted by the United Kingdom, where diplomats from more than 40 nations sought ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway remains choked after Iran restricted access following earlier attacks linked to the US and Israel.
Yvette Cooper, the UK foreign secretary, told participants that Iran had "hijacked an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage." Representatives from France, Germany, Canada, United Arab Emirates and India attended, though the US and several Gulf nations were absent.
The meeting focused on diplomatic pressure and future security planning for the strait, one of the world's most critical corridors for global oil shipments.