US President Donald Trump announced on April 2 the destruction of the B1 bridge near Tehran, which he called “the largest bridge in Iran,” and again called on the country to conclude a deal.
Trump wrote about this in Truth Social.
Trump posted a video of the bridge collapse and wrote: “The largest bridge in Iran has collapsed and will never be used again – more to come!” He also urged Iran to “make a deal before it's too late and there is something left of a country that could still be great.”
BBC Verify has reviewed two videos showing separate airstrikes on the B1 Bridge in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran. The bridge was under construction and is around 1,000 metres long and 136 metres high.
The first verified video shows a powerful explosion on the bridge. A plume of smoke rising before the explosion could indicate multiple strikes. Iranian officials say the first strike killed two people.
Images of the aftermath show a large breach in the bridge's structure and construction cranes on either side of it. BBC Verify confirmed that the breach is new – satellite images from January showed the bridge span intact.
A second video, later released by Trump, showed another massive explosion. It showed a large section of the bridge collapsing. As in the first video, a plume of smoke was already rising from the impact site.
Israeli and US military operation against Iran
On February 28, Israel attacked the Iranian capital Tehran. US President Donald Trump later said that the US military had launched a “major combat operation” against Iran to “eliminate imminent threats from the Iranian regime”. He accused the Iranian government of “funding and training” militants in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Hamas in Palestine. According to him, the aim of the military operation is to “destroy Iran's missile industry and navy” and “ensure that the world cannot be destabilised”.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched missiles and drones towards Israel, and also attacked US military bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Amid the US military operation against Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris is calling for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.
The European Union said it reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment to ensuring regional security and stability” in the Middle East.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was fair to give the Iranians a chance to get rid of “the terrorist regime and guarantee the security of all peoples who have suffered from attacks from Iran.”
On February 28, Trump announced that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was dead, a claim later confirmed by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
On March 1, the IRGC announced that it was launching “the most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic” against Israel and “American terrorist bases.” Trump called on the Iranian regime to abandon these plans and threatened to strike “a very strong blow” in response.
On March 2, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the next phase of the US military operation against Iran would be even more destructive.
On March 6, Trump declared the need for a complete change in Iran's leadership, adding that he already had several candidates for the role of “a good leader.”
On March 8, Iran's Assembly of Experts elected the son of the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.
Trump declined to comment on the election of Mojtaba Khamenei, saying only: “We'll see what happens.” Before that, the American president said that the new leader of Iran “won't last long” if he doesn't receive the approval of the White House.
On March 26, US President Donald Trump announced that he was suspending the destruction of Iranian energy facilities until April 6. According to him, he made this decision at the request of the Iranian government, and negotiations are ongoing.