Washington, July 17 (SANA)U.S. forces have destroyed a naval observation tower at Iran’s Chabahar–Shahid Kalantari port, part of a broader maritime surveillance network along Iran’s coast overlooking the Gulf of Oman, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday.

In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said the destruction of the tower “directly weakens the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ ability to coordinate attacks targeting civilian mariners,” adding that the operation was part of efforts to protect freedom of navigation.

On July 16, U.S. forces successfully destroyed the Chah Bahar Shahid Kalantari Port surveillance tower, part of a maritime surveillance network along Iran’s Gulf of Oman coastline used for decades by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to track and target commercial…pic.twitter.com/CgBNvgOFf9

CENTCOM said the strike also aims to enhance the security of vessel movements in regional waters, with the exception of ships attempting to breach the U.S. naval blockade currently imposed on Iran.

The command said the tower had been used by the Revolutionary Guards for decades to track and monitor commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the strike formed part of its ongoing military operations to reduce maritime threats.

The announcement comes amid rising tensions over maritime security in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, with international concern over the impact of any further escalation on global trade flows.

Earlier Friday, the U.S. military completed the latest wave of strikes on Iran ordered by President Donald Trump, marking the sixth consecutive night of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian territory, according to CENTCOM.

The strikes are part of a continuing campaign in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz since July 12, which prompted Washington to reimpose a full naval blockade on Iranian ports.