The US struck the control tower of the Shahid Kalantari port in Chabahar, southeastern Iran, The Zioneer reports, describing it as a key center for directing and controlling vessel traffic. The strike is part of ongoing exchanges of fire between the US and Iran and Gulf states.
The Zioneer now confirms that the structure that collapsed at the Shahid Kalantari port in Chabahar is the port's control tower, a key center for directing and controlling vessel traffic. The confirmation refines earlier reports from Friday morning that described the collapsed structure as an observation tower. The strike is part of ongoing exchanges of fire between the US and Iran and Gulf states.
Earlier today at 06:08 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Iran said the observation tower at the port had collapsed following a US airstrike last week. That report followed a series of updates at the same time: unverified reports of explosions, footage of the strikes released by journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12), and Iranian sources reporting seven killed. The Zioneer had previously reported on July 9 that the overnight US strike on Chabahar had hit the observation tower, not the airport control tower.
The Zioneer has reported on multiple US strikes on Iranian infrastructure in recent days, including strikes on the Imam Ali base and the Shahid Kalantari port area on July 15, and on Qeshm and Bushehr on July 16. The Chabahar port is a strategic facility for monitoring vessel traffic to and from the Strait of Hormuz, as The Zioneer reported on July 9.
The extent of damage and casualties from the control tower strike is not yet known. The earlier reports of seven killed have not been independently verified. The operational impact of losing the control tower versus the observation tower remains unclear, and the distinction may affect assessments of the port's ability to manage shipping traffic.
3 developments
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