On April 2, 2026 — Sizdah Bedar, the final day of Persian New Year celebrations when Iranian families traditionally gather outdoors — the U.S. military struck the B1 highway bridge in the Azimiyeh area of Karaj, Alborz Province, approximately 35 kilometers southwest of Tehran. The bridge, at 136 meters the tallest in the Middle East and nearly a kilometer long, was under construction and not yet open to traffic. Iran's state media reported eight people killed and 95 wounded, including families gathered below the bridge to celebrate the holiday. The strike came hours after President Trump threatened to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Ages."
The Strike
The U.S. hit the bridge around midday with GBU-31 JDAMs (2,000-pound class munitions), causing a partial collapse. Approximately one hour later, American aircraft struck the same site again as emergency crews were assisting the wounded — a "double-tap" pattern that international humanitarian law experts classify as a potential war crime. The second strike destroyed the bridge's central section.
Deputy Governor Ghodratollah Seif stated there was "absolutely no military activity" on the bridge. Deputy Minister of Roads Houshang Bazvand described it as designed to "ease travel to the northern regions of the country and reduce traffic congestion in the capital." Pentagon officials claimed the bridge was a "planned military supply route for sustaining Iran's ballistic missile and attack drone force."
Trump's Truth Social Posts
Trump posted video of the bridge's collapse on Truth Social with the message: "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!"
In a separate post, Trump wrote: "Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!"
Significance
The strike marked a deliberate escalation from military to civilian targeting. For five weeks, U.S. operations had focused on nuclear facilities, military bases, air defenses, and naval assets. The pivot to infrastructure — bridges, with power plants explicitly threatened next — followed the pattern of "shock and awe" campaigns designed to break civilian morale. The advance public announcement of civilian infrastructure targeting, combined with Trump's celebratory posting of destruction footage, drew immediate comparisons to the strategic bombing campaigns of the 20th century and provoked accusations of war crimes from international legal observers.
The double-tap pattern — striking first responders at the same site — has been documented as a war crime when employed by other nations and non-state actors. Over 100 U.S.-based international law experts — including Oona Hathaway (Yale, president-elect of the American Society of International Law), Harold Hongju Koh (Yale), and Kenneth Roth (former Human Rights Watch director) — signed a letter published at Just Security arguing the strikes violated the UN Charter and may constitute war crimes. International law expert Gabor Rona told NPR that Trump's threats against civilian infrastructure are "a threat to commit war crimes both under international and U.S. law."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded: "Striking civilian structures, including unfinished bridges, will not compel Iranians to surrender. Every bridge and building will be built back stronger. What will never recover: damage to America's standing."