Tracking recent US-Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure

Tracking Recent US-Israeli Strikes on Iranian Infrastructure

Donald Trump, the former US president, has vowed to strike key infrastructure across Iran unless a deal is finalized to end the conflict with the US and Israel by Tuesday night. His remarks, which included a promise to “bomb the country back to the Stone Ages,” highlighted plans to attack bridges and power plants. Trump also shared a social media post warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if negotiations fail.

Since the conflict began, infrastructure essential to Iranian civilians has faced numerous attacks, including damage to schools and hospitals. BBC Verify has confirmed that US and Israeli forces have targeted at least two steel plants, three bridges, and a pharmaceutical facility in recent weeks. Concerns have been raised by some US Democrats and UN officials that these actions might constitute war crimes.

On Thursday, US military strikes hit a bridge under construction in Karaj, a central city. Local authorities reported at least 13 casualties, with verified footage showing two separate bombings. The resulting damage left a visible gap in the structure, surrounded by construction cranes. Trump later posted the footage online, claiming the “biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again,” and hinted at further strikes.

Steel production facilities have also been hit. Verified images from March 27 showed smoke rising from the Isfahan Mobarakeh Steel company, forcing operations to halt. This plant, Iran’s largest steelmaker, generated about $860 million in exports between March 2025 and January 2026, according to company-linked reports. Satellite imagery confirmed damage at the Khuzestan Steel Company, the second-largest producer. Repairs could take up to a year, according to local officials.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the strikes disrupted 70% of Iran’s steel manufacturing capacity. Arman Mahmoudian, a research fellow at the University of South Florida’s Global and National Security Institute, warned that this could severely affect the Iranian economy. “Steel is a cornerstone of Iran’s non-oil economic capacity,” he stated. “If Israeli strikes have indeed dismantled around 70% of steel production, nearly 20 million tons of output may be lost, threatening 3–3.5% of the country’s GDP.”

Pharmaceutical facilities are also under threat. On March 31, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson claimed a strike on the Tofigh Daru Research & Engineering Company, Iran’s largest drug producer, targeting chemicals used for chemical weapon development. The BBC cannot independently confirm this claim. While pharmaceuticals represent a smaller portion of the economy, Mahmoudian noted that attacks could disrupt access to vital medicines and weaken Tehran’s “medical independence.”

Verified footage and photographs suggest educational sites have suffered significant damage. On Saturday, debris surrounded the exterior of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, with parts of the building reportedly destroyed. Similarly, images from Monday showed damage at Sharif University of Technology following strikes on the capital. Religious buildings have also been hit, including the Husseinya Mosque in Zanjan, where an attack destroyed a clinic and library, killing two people.

Additionally, Israeli forces targeted 10 “key” components of Iran’s railway system on Tuesday. Verified video from Aminabad village in central Iran showed a collapsed railway bridge attributed to the strikes. Another clip, shared by the Iranian Red Crescent and confirmed by BBC Verify, depicted paramedics responding to the aftermath.