US President Donald Trump said in a telephone interview with CNN that the US military had identified 38 bridges in Iran that, he claimed, could be destroyed in about an hour.
He also listed power plants among the potential targets. However, Trump made clear that he did not want to inflict such damage, as rebuilding the infrastructure could take around 10 years.
“I don’t want to do that because it would take 10 years to rebuild them. I don’t like destroying bridges. A bridge is one of the most complex structures to build,” he said.
Trump’s remarks are noteworthy because they refer not to a general threat, but to specific figures and timelines: 38 bridges, one hour to destroy them, and 10 years to rebuild them. Such details are rarely disclosed in public statements, and their inclusion in itself signals the level of military planning being discussed.
It is also worth noting that Trump is speaking publicly not only about the possibility of such an attack, but also about its consequences, emphasizing the lengthy reconstruction period. This is one of the rare instances in which a discussion of the use of force is accompanied by an assessment of its consequences.
What remains unclear is the specific context in which these targets were considered and whether this is connected to ongoing negotiations. The statement leaves these questions unanswered.
