It came after Iranian media said eight people were killed and almost 100 injured when a bridge under construction in the city of Karaj, west of Tehran, was bombed on Thursday. Many people had been picnicking near the B1 suspension bridge for the 13th day of the Nowruz holidays when it was targeted twice by US warplanes. "Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the world, hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran", Trump wrote on Truth Social. "New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!". However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on his X account that "striking civilian structures, including unfinished bridges, will not compel Iranians to surrender". He declared that the strike on the bridge "only conveys the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy in disarray", and that "damage to America's standing" would "never recover".

Araghchi also responded separately to Trump's earlier vow to bomb Iran "back to the stone ages", asking whether the president was sure he wanted to "turn back the clock" to a time when "there was no oil or gas being pumped in the Middle East". It is still very difficult to contact people inside Iran amid the internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities, which has now entered day 35. However, some people have managed to connect using satellite internet systems such as Starlink and other methods, though it comes at a high cost. Using or possessing Starlink can lead to up to two years in prison.

The strike on the bridge in Karaj also worried one local resident who described himself as "pro-war". "That bridge could have reduced the traffic in the city... it was destroyed in the second strike. This strike has got me worried. I don't know why they hit it," said the man in his 20s. A woman in her 40s in Tehran, who also supports the US-Israeli military campaign, said: "I was really surprised that they hit a bridge… but I think they must have a reason for it". The strike in Karaj and Trump's comments were also condemned by hardline, pro-establishment Iranians on social media. (BBC)