lecturer
A look at the massive multimillion-dollar structures that could be threatened by Trump’s ‘Bridge Day’ ultimatum.
Published 6 April 2026
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to impose “hell” on Iran by demolishing its critical infrastructure, including its bridges and power plants, if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz by Wednesday morning in Tehran.
Trump casually described his plans, which many experts said would amount to a war crime, “bridge dayAt a time when the US and Israel have already bombed many Iranian universities, hospitals, schools, research centers and pharmaceutical companies.
Just last week, a US double-tap strike destroyed the newly constructed B1 bridge in Karaj, a city west of Tehran, killing eight civilians who were picnicking beneath it as Iran was celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year. B1 was an incomplete project, yet it was targeted by analysts as part of a strategy to “de-develop” the nation.
Now as another Trump deadline on the Strait of Hormuz approaches, international observers are growing concerned about what the implications would be if the US President actually orders the bombing of Iran’s bridges.
according to Iran’s bridge management system (BMS), there are approximately 300,000 bridges and technical structures in the country. Only about 185 bridges exceed 100 meters (330 ft) in length, and only 42 bridges have the main span – the longest unsupported distance between two consecutive piers – exceeding 50 meters (165 ft).
Based on their scale and economic importance, here are the five most prominent bridges in Iran:
Persian Gulf Bridge (Qeshm Island)
- Place: Hormuzgan Province
- DIMENSIONS: 3.4 km (2.1 mi) long
- Situation: Incomplete (15 to 18 percent physical progress)
- background: The Persian Gulf Bridge was a “dream project” for more than 50 years, and was torn down in 2011. While the bridge is incomplete due to funding constraints, its massive underwater foundations and caissons are in place. Once completed, it will connect Qeshm Island – the largest of Iran’s islands in the gulf, which is believed to be home to an underground missile arsenal – to Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest mainland port.
- What is the danger: Even in its current state, the bridge represents an investment of up to $700 million and is the centerpiece of the international North-South Transport Corridor, which also includes India and Russia. Targeting its massive concrete foundations would destroy decades of national planning and directly attack Chinese-backed credit lines, ending Iran’s hopes of direct connectivity to the island from the mainland.
Urmia Lake Bridge (Shahid Kalantari Bridge)
- Place: between Eastern and Western Azerbaijan provinces
- Dimensions: 1.7 km (1 mi) long
- background: It was inaugurated in November 2008 after 29 years of highly complex construction due to the highly saline and muddy nature of the lake bed.
- What is the danger: The bridge connects Tabriz and Urmia, reducing the driving distance between the cities from 240 km to 130 km (150 to 80 mi). In addition to eliminating civilian movement between the two major provinces, destroying it could cause an ecological disaster by dumping 35 km (22 mi) of steel piling and concrete into the already shrinking lake.
Sadar Multilevel Expressway
- Place: tehran
- Dimensions: 11 km (7 mi) long, supported by 234 pillars
- background: Inaugurated in November 2013, the bridge is the 11th highest multi-level bridge in the world and the longest multi-level bridge in the Middle East.
- What is the danger: Built entirely by Iranian engineers despite sanctions, it is a daily commute route for millions of people in Tehran. An attack here could cause massive urban casualties, destroy a major artery for the capital’s transportation system and plunge Tehran’s emergency evacuation system into chaos.
Karun 4 Arch Bridge
- Place: Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province
- Dimensions: 378 meters (1,240 ft) long, 3,800 tons
- background: Entirely designed and built by Iranian experts, the bridge was inaugurated in 2015.
- What is the danger: As the longest arch bridge in Iran, it is an important route between Shahr-e Kord and Izeh. Because it hangs directly over the dam’s reservoir and is located close to the dam, bombing it risks causing secondary damage to the hydroelectric facility, potentially causing deadly flooding for communities living downstream.
Ghadir cable-stayed bridge (eighth bridge)
- Place: Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province
- Dimensions: 1,014 meters (3,327 ft) long, 22 meters (72 ft) wide
- background: Construction began in 2005, and the bridge was fully opened to the public in early 2012.
- What is the danger: This bridge spanning the Karun River is in the center of Ahvaz. The city is the center of Iran’s oil and steel sectors. Destroying this structure would cut the city in two, halting the daily movement of families and emergency services in a province already hit by air strikes.
