Karaj’s B-1 Bridge was supposed to hold the record as the tallest bridge in the Middle East; a massive and complex project whose construction took years and cost tens of trillions of rials. The bridge, with a length of 1,050 meters and a height of 136 meters, had been built in the city of Karaj in Alborz Province, and it was said that it would significantly reduce traffic congestion in the area.
On April 2, the B-1 Bridge was targeted twice in airstrikes, and parts of it collapsed. The bridge had been scheduled to become operational in the coming months.
According to reports, at the time of the attack, many people were in the green spaces beneath and around the elevated bridge, spending Sizdah Bedar, Iran’s traditional Nature Day outing.
The deputy governor of Alborz Province said that 8 people were killed and 95 injured in the attack. Ghodratollah Seif said the victims were passing travelers and people who had been present in the area for Nature Day.
Reactions of the countries involved in the war to the attack
Hours after part of the B-1 Bridge in Karaj collapsed, U.S. President Donald Trump posted images of the strike on Truth Social and wrote, “The biggest bridge in Iran has collapsed and will never be used again. More is on the way!”
Mr. Trump also repeated in his speech last night that he would intensify attacks on Iran over the next two to three weeks and target the country’s infrastructure.
Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister of the Iranian regime, said in response to the attack that targeting civilian infrastructure would not force Iran to surrender.
The deputy minister of roads and urban development of the Iranian regime also said that reconstruction of the B-1 Bridge would begin soon. Houshang Bazvand said the extent of the damage had not yet been assessed, but rebuilding operations would begin in the coming days.
Reactions from social media users
After the B-1 Bridge was struck, reports emerged of power outages on Chalus Road and in parts of Karaj.
Social media users have shown mixed reactions to the destruction of parts of the B-1 Bridge following the attacks. The strike has stirred different emotions among users and once again raised the question of war: yes or no.
Some have condemned the destruction of the country’s infrastructure and say rebuilding it may take years, while its loss directly affects citizens’ lives. They are concerned about Trump’s threat to send Iran back to the Stone Age and say rebuilding the country’s infrastructure—especially given the critical state of the economy—would be extremely difficult even in the event of regime change.
Some are worried that if the Iranian regime remains after the war and the infrastructure has also been destroyed, conditions will become even worse than before the protests and the war.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), led by Maryam Rajavi, has emphasized for the past 20 years that the solution for Iran is neither appeasement nor war with this regime, but rather recognizing the legitimate resistance of the Iranian people against it.
The Iranian regime will not be overthrown by aerial bombardment, and the only solution for the Middle East is to support the people of Iran and arm the opposition to this regime.
