U.S. airstrikes on Iran appear to have damaged Chabahar port
U.S. airstrikes in Iran have reportedly damaged a surveillance tower at the Chabahar port, a critical trade hub for Afghanistan. While the U.S. claims the facility is a target due to Revolutionary Guard activity, Iranian media has acknowledged the strikes but downplayed the damage.
Why it matters
The targeting of the Chabahar port, a key node for regional trade, signals an escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions with potential impacts on Afghan economic stability.
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.
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.
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