AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The United States has struck Iran's strategically important Chabahar Port, destroying a surveillance tower that Washington says was used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to monitor commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strike, confirmed by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday (Jul 17), marks a significant expansion of Washington's military campaign against Iran, bringing attacks to one of the country's most critical maritime gateways on the Gulf of Oman.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said US forces destroyed the surveillance tower at Shahid Kalantari Port in Chabahar on Thursday. According to the US military, the facility formed part of an IRGC-operated surveillance network that had been used for years to track commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil shipping lanes.
"The destruction of the tower directly degrades IRGC's ability to coordinate attacks on innocent civilian crew members," CENTCOM claimed.
Iran says Chabahar port remains operational
While Iran confirmed the strike, it said that the port remains operational. Tehran also acknowledged that the surveillance tower had been hit. State news agency IRNA reported that the maritime control tower at Chabahar Port was destroyed in the attack, but said the port's berths, cargo-handling equipment and other operational infrastructure escaped damage.
Wider strikes across multiple provinces
The attack on Chabahar was part of a broader wave of overnight US strikes across Iran. According to state broadcaster Press TV, US forces targeted sites in the provinces of Hormozgan, Bushehr, Sistan and Baluchestan, Khuzestan and Lorestan between late Thursday and early Friday.
Iran's Health Ministry said at least 38 people were killed and more than 400 others were injured in the attacks. Those killed reportedly included women and a child, while dozens of others remain in the hospital.
Iranian authorities also said six bridges in Khamir County were damaged, disrupting transport links between Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khamir and surrounding areas.
Why Chabahar matters
The strike carries significance beyond the ongoing conflict. Located on Iran's southeastern coast, Chabahar is the country's only ocean-facing port and sits outside the Strait of Hormuz, making it a key gateway for regional trade.
The port is also strategically important for India, which has invested in developing parts of Chabahar as a route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan.
It added that the strike was intended to protect freedom of navigation and support the ongoing US naval blockade against Iran.
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