US strikes seven Iranian bridges, observation tower
A section of a bridge destroyed in Bandar Khamir following the missile strike. Photo: Reuters
The United States intensified its military campaign on the sixth day of the conflict. It launched missile strikes on seven strategically important bridges in Iran on the same day and also destroyed an observation tower at Chabahar Port on the Gulf of Oman. The latest wave of strikes primarily targeted the coastal city of Bandar Abbas, home to Iran's naval headquarters and main naval base. Located at the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz, the port also serves as a key trade route for Afghanistan.
According to Iranian state media, the strikes on Thursday night reduced seven bridges to rubble. The targeted structures included the Kahurestan Bridge in Khamir County; the Geriveh Bridge on the Bandar Abbas–Khamir-Lar highway; the Kalamatali Bridge, located beyond Latidan village on the Bandar Abbas-Khamir-Lar route; an unfinished bridge on the Bandar Khamir-Keshar-Bandar Abbas road; Kharestan-Lar route and the Maru village bridge in Khamir County. Iranian state media also reported that eight people were killed in the attacks.
In an interview with Fox News on July 14, President Donald Trump said, "We will disable all of their power plants. If they do not come to the negotiating table, we will destroy all of their bridges as well." The United States carried out the latest strikes after issuing that warning.
In addition to the bridges, US forces also struck an observation tower at Chabahar Port. The United States has repeatedly targeted the port during the conflict between the two countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared an image on X on Thursday showing a collapsed tower. He captioned the post: "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz."
Iranian state media acknowledged that the facility had come under a third round of attacks but did not immediately confirm that the tower had collapsed. Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization said the observation tower was a civilian facility. Authorities used it to support search-and-rescue operations for fishermen at sea and to manage the safety and traffic of commercial vessels.
The Pentagon and US intelligence agencies, however, believe the observation tower served not only commercial purposes but also maritime surveillance operations conducted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
