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Updated 8 April 2026 - US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Iran, warning of extensive military action against the country's infrastructure if no agreement is reached by Tuesday night.
Trump's ultimatum and threats
President Donald Trump has vowed to target critical infrastructure across Iran unless the country agrees to what he termed an "acceptable" deal to end the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel by Tuesday night. In a series of statements, Trump declared that US forces would bomb Iran "back to the Stone Ages," specifically threatening bridges, power plants, and other key facilities.
On Tuesday, Trump posted on social media, stating that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if negotiations fail. His remarks follow a pattern of escalating rhetoric amid the conflict, which has seen repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran.
Recent strikes on civilian infrastructure
Since the conflict began, US and Israeli forces have conducted multiple strikes targeting infrastructure critical to Iran's civilian population. Over the past two weeks, BBC Verify has confirmed attacks on at least two steel plants, three bridges, and a pharmaceutical facility.
On Thursday, US aircraft struck a bridge under construction in the central city of Karaj, killing at least 13 people. Verified footage showed two direct hits on the bridge, leaving a large gap and destroying construction cranes. Trump later shared the footage online, commenting, "The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again," and hinting at further strikes.
Economic and humanitarian impact
Steel production, a cornerstone of Iran's non-oil economy, has been severely disrupted by the strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the attacks have crippled up to 70% of Iran's steel manufacturing capacity. Arman Mahmoudian, a research fellow at the University of South Florida's Global and National Security Institute, warned that this could jeopardize nearly 20 million tons of output, potentially affecting 3-3.5% of Iran's GDP.
The pharmaceutical sector has also been targeted. On 31 March, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck the Tofigh Daru Research & Engineering Company, one of Iran's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers. The IDF alleged the company was involved in developing chemical weapons, a claim the BBC cannot independently verify. Mahmoudian noted that such attacks could undermine Iran's healthcare system, particularly its access to domestically produced medicines.
Educational and religious sites have also suffered damage. Verified images show debris at Shahid Beheshti University and Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, as well as the destruction of parts of the Husseinya Mosque in Zanjan, where two people were killed.
Railway and transportation disruptions
On Tuesday, the IDF announced it had bombed 10 "key" sections of Iran's railway network. Footage from Aminabad village in central Iran showed a collapsed railway bridge, while another video verified by the BBC depicted paramedics assisting an injured man near a railway line in Karaj. The cause of his injuries remains unclear.
The IDF issued a warning in Farsi on social media, advising Iranian civilians to avoid trains and railway lines, stating that their presence in such areas "endangers your life." A railway worker in Tehran told the BBC, "I'm really angry. Everything is falling apart."
Legal and ethical concerns
Legal experts and international officials have raised concerns that the strikes may constitute war crimes. Under international law, attacks on civilian infrastructure are permitted only if they provide a definite military advantage and do not cause "excessive" harm to civilians. Professor Rachel VanLandingham, a former US military lawyer, emphasized that any military action must avoid disproportionate civilian casualties.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reported that civilian harm has largely been concentrated around military, security, and state-linked sites. However, the organization noted that 40 dual-use facilities-sites serving both civilian and military purposes-have been hit since US-Israeli strikes began on 28 February.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that attacks causing "excessive incidental civilian harm" are prohibited. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that "deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime," adding that those responsible would be held accountable. Sir Geoffrey Nice, a former prosecutor at the Hague, told the BBC that strikes on essential infrastructure like power plants and water facilities could be deemed disproportionate under international law.
"The civilian population in any war is entitled to be properly protected, and if you interfere with the basic means of life... you are at grave risk of causing completely disproportionate damage, ultimately including by starvation and disease."
Sir Geoffrey Nice, former prosecutor at the Hague
Trump dismisses war crime concerns
During a news conference on Monday, Trump dismissed concerns about the legality of the strikes, stating he was "not worried about it" when asked if targeting energy facilities could amount to war crimes. He argued, "You know the war crime? The war crime is allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
