US forces destroyed a surveillance tower at the Chah Bahar Shahid Kalantari Port in Iran on July 16, according to a statement released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on X.
The tower was part of a maritime surveillance network along Iran’s Gulf of Oman coastline that was used for decades by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to monitor commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, the statement said.
The strike has reduced the IRGC’s ability to coordinate attacks against civilian maritime crews and was carried out to protect freedom of navigation in regional waters, according to US forces.
The statement added that the operation was not directed against vessels operating legally in the region, but was aimed at preventing ships from violating the ongoing US naval blockade against Iran.