U.S. airstrikes on Friday (July 17, 2026) appeared to have collapsed a tower at Iran’s Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, a key trade route for Afghanistan.

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the image of the surveillance tower appearing to collapse. That image had circulated social media via activists prior to Mr. Hegseth sharing it.

West Asia LIVE updates – July 17, 2026

Chabahar port has been a repeated target of American airstrikes. Iranian state media acknowledged a third round of strikes on the facility without immediately acknowledging the tower’s collapse.

Iran described the tower as overseeing commercial traffic into the port. However, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also operates at ports across the country.