&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US destroying India's gateway to Central Asia? CENTCOM confirms surveillance tower at Iran's Chabahar Port annihilated")
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.
Degrading Iran's ability to target ships in Hormuz
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.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
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.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth later shared an image of the destroyed tower on social media.
