“Back to the Stone Age”: Systematic Destruction of Iran’s Civilian Infrastructure Amid War Escalation
In his latest remarks, President Donald Trump described the current war in terms that left little doubt about its punitive logic. Threatening to strike Iran “very hard” in the coming weeks, he declared that the United States could bring Iran “back to the Stone Age” if its conditions were not met. He also explicitly threatened to target Iran’s electricity network and core infrastructure if no agreement is reached. Read alongside the growing list of sites struck across Iran, the message is unmistakable: this war is not only about military pressure, but about breaking the country through the destruction of the infrastructure that sustains civilian life.
The scale and pattern of recent attacks point to a widening campaign against Iran’s essential civilian and economic infrastructure. In Tehran, Iranian health officials reported that parts of the Pasteur Institute of Iran sustained serious damage in the attacks. Founded more than a century ago, the institute has been at the forefront of combating infectious diseases, including cholera, rabies, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and COVID-19. Targeting such a major scientific and public health institution directly impacts national and global health capacity.
This attack follows other reported strikes on Iran’s medical and pharmaceutical sector. Iranian sources have reported the destruction of facilities linked to Tofiq Darou, a pharmaceutical company involved in producing ingredients for life-saving medicines, including cancer and multiple sclerosis treatments. These incidents indicate that the war has extended into sectors critical for civilian survival and healthcare access.
Transportation infrastructure has also come under direct attack. Iranian media reported that Bridge B1 in Karaj, one of the country’s tallest bridges, was struck in attacks on the Azimiyeh area, with civilians reportedly injured. The destruction of such a key bridge is not symbolic—it disrupts civilian mobility, emergency response, supply chains, and regional connectivity, particularly along the critical Tehran–Karaj corridor.
Airports and port facilities have likewise been drawn into the expanding map of destruction. Iranian authorities reported attacks on Mashhad International Airport, where explosions and heavy smoke were observed near the airport and surrounding fuel infrastructure. Kashan Airport was also hit, with officials confirming damage to passenger facilities. Maritime infrastructure has also been targeted, including Qeshm port facilities, Bandar-e Charak, Bandar Pol, the Doha fishing dock in Qeshm, and Hengam Island. These strikes impact commercial shipping, fishing infrastructure, and transport routes, particularly in the strategically sensitive region near the Strait of Hormuz.
The war has also deeply affected civilian urban life. According to Tehran municipal authorities, 33,000 residential units have been damaged, ranging from minor destruction to complete structural loss. Thousands of families have been displaced, with many forced into temporary housing or relocation. This scale of damage demonstrates that the war is being fought not only on military fronts, but inside civilian neighborhoods and homes.
Religious and cultural infrastructure has also been affected. Reports indicate damage to the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Tehran, including its main structure and associated facilities. In addition, Iranian authorities report that more than 130 historical sites across 18 provinces have been damaged. These attacks extend the consequences of the war beyond immediate physical destruction to include cultural and religious heritage as well.
Industrial and economic infrastructure has also been explicitly targeted. Israeli officials have acknowledged attacks on Iran’s major steel complexes and economic infrastructure, aiming to inflict long-term economic damage and reduce production capacity. At the same time, Trump has threatened to strike power plants and energy infrastructure, signaling potential escalation toward system-wide disruption of electricity and energy supply.
The cumulative picture is one of a war increasingly directed at the systems that allow a country to function: public health institutions, pharmaceutical production, bridges, airports, ports, housing, industrial facilities, and cultural landmarks. Even where claims of dual-use targets are made, the repeated targeting of infrastructure indispensable to civilian life raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law.
The dominant reality at this stage of the war is the broad and accelerating destruction of Iran’s civilian infrastructure. Trump’s own language about returning Iran to the “Stone Age” is increasingly reflected in the pattern of attacks on the ground. What is being damaged is not only military capacity, but the architecture of civilian survival itself: the laboratories that fight disease, the factories that produce medicine, the bridges that connect cities, the airports and ports that sustain movement and trade, and the homes that shelter millions.