Eight civilians died and 95 were injured in coordinated missile strikes on a major bridge in Iran's Alborz province on Thursday, Iranian state media reported. The attack targeted the B1 bridge in Karaj, a critical infrastructure project described by officials as one of the tallest in the Middle East and among Iran's most complex engineering feats. According to IRNA, the official news agency, the bridge was hit twice in a single day by missiles believed to be launched by US and Israeli forces. The strikes caused significant structural damage, though the full extent remains under assessment. No group has officially claimed responsibility, but Iranian authorities have pointed to foreign involvement, citing the precision and timing of the attacks. The B1 bridge is part of a larger highway network intended to ease transport congestion in the region and has been under construction for several years. Civilian casualties occurred in nearby areas, likely due to falling debris and shockwaves from the blasts. Iranian emergency services responded immediately, evacuating the wounded and cordoning off the site. Tehran has yet to issue a formal statement on potential retaliation, but military officials have called the attack a serious escalation. Investigations are ongoing into the origin and trajectory of the missiles. Regional tensions have risen sharply in recent days amid growing proxy confrontations in the Middle East. The incident marks one of the most direct strikes on Iranian infrastructure in recent years.
When US and Israeli forces strike deep inside Iran to destroy a bridge tied to national infrastructure, it signals a shift from shadow conflict to open sabotage. The B1 bridge was not just concrete and steel—it was a symbol of Iran's domestic ambition, and hitting it sends a message far beyond Karaj. This is no longer about deterrence; it's about degrading Iran's capacity to project strength at home and abroad. The death of eight civilians ensures the response will be measured not just in military terms, but political fury.
