US strike hits India-backed Chabahar port

US airstrikes brought down a maritime traffic-control tower at Iran’s Chabahar port on Friday, 17 July, extending the American military campaign to a facility central to India’s trade and strategic ambitions in Central Asia.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said the tower at the Shahid Kalantari terminal collapsed after the facility was struck for the third time. It reported no deaths or injuries and said cargo operations were expected to resume shortly. US Central Command said its latest attacks hit dozens of targets but did not provide a detailed account of the Chabahar operation.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a photograph on X showing a tower collapsing, but did not identify the structure or its location.

https://t.co/jZlSVRePRC pic.twitter.com/Nj5o0oiphH

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) July 17, 2026

Iranian state media identified the structure as the maritime traffic-control tower at Chabahar’s Shahid Kalantari terminal, which is separate from the India-operated Shahid Beheshti terminal. Hegseth provided no caption or further details about the image.

There was no immediate indication that the Shahid Beheshti terminal, where India has supplied equipment and operates the facility, was damaged. The status of Indian personnel at the port was also unclear.

The strike formed part of a wider US attack on Iranian infrastructure that included bridges, power facilities and an airport in southern Iran. Washington has said its operations are intended to weaken Iran’s capacity to threaten navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The attack carries particular significance for India. Located on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, Chabahar gives New Delhi a route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan.

India Ports Global Ltd and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization signed a 10-year agreement in May 2024 to equip and operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal. India committed about $120 million for port equipment and offered a $250 million credit facility for related infrastructure.

The port has also been promoted as a link in the International North-South Transport Corridor, a proposed trade network connecting India with Iran, Central Asia, Russia and Europe.

Chabahar’s position outside Hormuz had previously been viewed as an advantage because ships could reach it without entering the Persian Gulf. The latest strike demonstrates that its location does not protect it from the wider conflict.

India’s involvement was already under pressure after a six-month US sanctions exemption for Chabahar expired on 26 April. New Delhi and Tehran had been examining an interim arrangement intended to protect India’s commercial rights while limiting its exposure to US sanctions.

India had not issued a detailed public response to Friday’s strike at the time of writing. The immediate questions are whether the India-operated terminal was affected, whether Indian personnel remain at the facility and whether cargo services can continue.

The attack also complicates India’s attempt to maintain relations with both Washington and Tehran while protecting its investments in Iran.