US airstrikes collapse tower at Iran's Chabahar port

A series of U.S. airstrikes on July 17, 2026, appears to have collapsed a surveillance tower at Iran's strategically vital Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, marking the sixth consecutive night of American military operations against Iranian targets. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared an image on social media showing the tower-like structure crumbling amid clouds of dust and smoke, an image that had earlier circulated online via activist accounts. The strike was part of a broader wave of attacks across Iran that officials said aimed to degrade the country's military capabilities.

The U.S. Central Command stated the latest operations targeted Iranian command centers, air defense systems, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities using precision-guided munitions. The objective, according to CENTCOM, is to reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial vessels transiting the nearby Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media confirmed a third round of strikes on the Chabahar facility but did not immediately acknowledge the tower's collapse. Iranian authorities described the tower as overseeing commercial traffic into the port, though the country's...