US-Israeli strike targets Iran's Qom-Tehran highway

A US-Israeli strike targeted Iran's Qom-Tehran highway on early Friday, the Mehr news agency reported. There was no immediate report of casualties or damage. The strike came a day after US-Israeli attacks destroyed the strategic B1 bridge in the city of Karaj, north of Tehran. Iranian authorities said the attack on the bridge killed eight people and wounded 95 others.

Infrastructure targeting

President Donald Trump signaled Thursday that further strikes on critical infrastructure could be imminent, writing on Truth Social that US forces "hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!" The highway strike appears to be the beginning of that expanded campaign.

Conflict context

The US and Israel on Feb. 28 launched an air offensive on Iran, killing over 1,340 people according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolgirls. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

Civilian toll

The B1 bridge strike, which killed eight and wounded 95, highlights the increasing civilian toll as the conflict expands from military and energy targets to include transportation infrastructure. The Qom-Tehran highway is a major route connecting two of Iran's largest cities, used daily by thousands of civilians.