Tracking recent US-Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure

Tracking recent US-Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure

Former President Donald Trump announced plans to strike critical infrastructure throughout Iran, unless a mutually acceptable agreement with the United States and Israel is reached by Tuesday night. He vowed to “bomb the country back to the Stone Ages,” emphasizing that US forces would focus on bridges and power plants. In a social media post, he warned that an “entire civilization will be wiped out tonight” if negotiations failed.

Since the conflict escalated, Iran’s infrastructure has faced numerous targeted assaults, with schools and hospitals among the sites damaged. BBC Verify confirmed that US and Israeli strikes have attacked at least two steel facilities, three bridges, and a pharmaceutical plant in the last two weeks. Some Democratic lawmakers and UN officials have raised concerns, suggesting these actions might qualify as war crimes.

On Thursday, US military jets struck a bridge under construction in Karaj, central Iran. Local authorities reported that the attack killed at least 13 individuals. Verified footage displayed two hits on the structure, revealing a significant section of the bridge collapsed. Trump later shared the video online, declaring, “The largest bridge in Iran tumbles down, never to be used again,” and hinted at more strikes to come.

Steel production has been a key focus. On March 27, images confirmed smoke rising from the Isfahan Mobarakeh Steel Company, one of Iran’s major manufacturers. The company, according to linked reports, generated $860 million between March 2025 and January 2026. Satellite imagery showed damage at the Khuzestan Steel Company as well, the country’s second-largest producer. Officials estimated repairs could take up to a year.

“Steel is a cornerstone of Iran’s non-oil economic capacity,” said Arman Mahmoudian, a research fellow at the University of South Florida’s Global and National Security Institute. “If Israeli strikes have indeed dismantled around 70% of Iran’s steel production capability, this would risk nearly 20 million tons of output, potentially affecting 3–3.5% of the nation’s GDP.”

Pharmaceutical facilities have also come under fire. On March 31, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson claimed a strike on the Tofigh Daru Research & Engineering Company, a leading Iranian pharmaceutical firm that produces anaesthetic and cancer drugs. The IDF alleged the company had been involved in transferring chemical substances, including fentanyl, for the development of weapons. BBC Verify could not independently confirm this claim.

Attacks on the sector may strain Iran’s healthcare system, as Mahmoudian pointed out. Although pharmaceutical goods account for a smaller share of the economy, strikes could limit access to essential medications during crises and weaken Tehran’s self-reliance in medical supply.

Religious and educational sites have suffered as well. A photograph from Saturday showed debris surrounding Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, with parts of the building destroyed following a reported attack. On Monday, images of damage appeared at Sharif University of Technology after strikes on the capital. In Zanjan, an assault led to the destruction of parts of the Husseinya Mosque, killing two people and damaging a clinic and library within the complex.