- Iran’s strategic Chabahar port damaged by fresh US airstrikes.
- US Defense Secretary shared damage image; campaign intensified.
- Port is vital for India’s trade with Afghanistan.
- US strikes targeted Iranian military, hitting multiple locations.
Iran’s strategic Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman was damaged following fresh US airstrikes, as Washington intensified its military campaign against Tehran for a sixth consecutive night. US Defence secretary Pete Hegseth shared an image which showed a structure collapsing after being hit in the strikes.
The image showed the tower-like structure crumbling amid large clouds of dust and smoke, drawing further attention to the reported damage at the port.
Hegseth did not attribute the photo of the tower to any site, but news agency Associated Press said the photo is of the Chabahar Port.
https://t.co/jZlSVRePRC pic.twitter.com/Nj5o0oiphH
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) July 17, 2026
Third Reported Strike On Chabahar Port
Iranian media reported that Chabahar port had come under a third round of US strikes. While state media confirmed renewed attacks on the facility, it did not immediately acknowledge reports that the surveillance tower had collapsed.
The extent of the damage at the port could not be independently verified.
Chabahar, located in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, is a strategically important port on the Gulf of Oman and serves as one of the country’s key maritime gateways outside the Strait of Hormuz.
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Strategic Importance For India And Afghanistan
The port has long held strategic significance for India, which has invested in the development of Chabahar to improve connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia while bypassing Pakistan.
The facility has been viewed as a critical trade corridor for Afghanistan and a cornerstone of regional connectivity initiatives backed by New Delhi.
Damage to infrastructure at Chabahar could raise concerns over the future of commercial shipping and regional trade if hostilities continue.
US Campaign Enters Sixth Night
The reported strike on Chabahar came as the US military launched another wave of attacks against Iranian targets.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the latest operations were aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities and reducing its ability to threaten commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
According to CENTCOM, US forces targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities using precision-guided munitions.
Iranian state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) also reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Bushehr and Qeshm Island following the latest US strikes. Authorities in Hormozgan province said at least seven people were injured in one of the attacks.
The latest strikes underscore the widening scope of the US military campaign against Iran following the collapse of diplomatic understandings between the two countries.
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