The five-week-old US-Iran war took a dramatic and symbolic turn this week when President Trump posted footage on social media showing smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, approximately 35 kilometres southwest of Tehran. Trump announced the destruction of what he called Iran’s tallest bridge, and issued a blunt warning: there would be “further destruction” unless Iran comes to the table to negotiate an end to the conflict.
“Make a deal before it’s too late,” Trump told Iran, according to live coverage from multiple Australian outlets tracking the conflict’s escalation and its ripple effects on domestic fuel prices. Australian states have reportedly agreed to cut fuel prices further using GST windfalls — a sign of how far the war’s economic consequences have reached beyond the Middle East.
The strike on civilian infrastructure marks a notable escalation in the conflict, targeting a landmark rather than a purely military asset. It underscores the administration’s “maximum pressure” approach, which now extends to the physical destruction of Iran’s national symbols.
