Israeli, US strikes target Iranian railways and Kharg Island ahead of Trump deadline

ALBAWABA- Israeli warplanes struck multiple railway lines and bridges across Iran on Tuesday, in a coordinated escalation alongside US strikes on military targets at the strategic oil hub of Kharg Island. 

The operations coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s confirmation that Israel had begun targeting transport infrastructure allegedly used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Netanyahu, in a video message, said Israeli forces hit “the railway lines and bridges used by the Revolutionary Guards” as part of an intensified campaign against Iran’s “terror regime.” 

The Israeli military reported damaging eight bridge segments in Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Kashan, and Qom, citing their use for transporting weapons and military equipment. The IDF also issued Farsi-language warnings for civilians to avoid trains and rail lines until at least 9 p.m. local time.

Iranian state media reported damage to at least two bridges, including a railway bridge in Yahyaabad near Kashan, killing at least two people and injuring others. Kharg Island remained under control, with no damage reported to critical oil facilities despite US strikes on military bunkers and storage sites, marking the second recent operation there.

The strikes came hours before a midnight deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned that failure to comply would leave “a whole civilization” at risk, threatening further attacks on bridges, power plants, and other critical infrastructure.

Iranian authorities, signaling defiance, called on young people to form human chains around the country’s power plants as human shields, describing the move as a demonstration that Iran would “go to the end.” 

State media claimed millions were ready to protect key infrastructure and warned of potential retaliatory strikes if civilian energy sites were targeted. The attacks mark Day 39 of the US-Israeli war against Iran amid rising regional tensions.