Iran says 38 killed as US strikes hit Chabahar

Context and Strategic Significance

The strikes followed statements attributed in the report to US President Donald Trump about targeting Iranian civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants. Iran has also announced the Strait of Hormuz is closed “until further notice” and at least until “the end of US interference in the region,” a move with major implications for shipping routes.

Chabahar is Iran’s only deep-water port with direct access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, allowing maritime traffic to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The port is also described as a trade gateway for Afghanistan and Central Asia and has been developed in cooperation with India, which has invested in the facility as a route that bypasses Pakistan.

The report said a US naval blockade on Iranian ports and constraints on access through the Strait of Hormuz have increased the importance of alternative trade routes such as Chabahar.

Reporting described the latest escalation as unfolding after an interim ceasefire agreed the previous month collapsed, followed by days of tit for tat strikes across the region. U.S. officials have framed the campaign as a response to attacks and harassment affecting commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz, with the stated aim of reducing Iran’s ability to threaten maritime traffic.

Damage Reports and Official Statements

Iran’s Energy Ministry urged citizens to conserve electricity as temperatures in southern Iran reached 50 degrees Celsius, saying areas were facing “extreme heat and attacks on power infrastructure,” and acknowledging that airstrikes had damaged power facilities and strained the national grid.

In Hormozgan, the governor’s office said seven people were killed and nine were injured in bridge strikes in Khamir County, which damaged routes linking Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khamir and Lar, as well as roads through Latidan, Kahorestan, Keshar and Maru village. Authorities said traffic on the Bandar Abbas to Lar highway through Bandar Khamir partially resumed, while discouraging unnecessary travel.

Provincial officials also reported one death and eight injuries in an attack on the Allah Akbar Hill residential neighborhood in Bandar Abbas. A separate strike hit a railway branch station in Bandar Abbas shortly after midnight, injuring two people; authorities said the station is away from residential areas and suffered limited infrastructure damage.

In Chabahar, Iranian media outlet IRNA reported that the port’s berths, cargo-handling equipment and operational infrastructure were not damaged, and that technical teams began assessments and secured the site to evaluate conditions for resuming operations.

In Khuzestan, Deputy Governor Valiollah Hayati said areas around Ahvaz were attacked Thursday night and that the scale of damage remained under investigation. The report also said earlier strikes near Ahvaz prompted the precautionary evacuation of Shahid Baghaei Hospital, and Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences said the hospital was temporarily taken out of service. In Lorestan, Deputy Governor Saeed Pourali said an area in the Veysian district of Chegeni County was attacked Friday, with no additional details released.

Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour put the toll at at least 38 killed and more than 400 wounded as of Friday, July 17, 2026. Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the strikes on infrastructure as grave war crimes and warned regional states not to allow their territory or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran.

U.S. Central Command has described the operation as self defense strikes, citing targets such as radar, command and control nodes, air defenses, and drone related sites linked to threats against shipping and regional forces. The U.S. also asserted the Chabahar tower was used by the IRGC to facilitate attacks near the Strait.

Current Status and What Comes Next

Iranian authorities said damage assessments and safety checks were under way at key sites, including the Chabahar port area, where cargo loading and unloading were expected to restart after inspections. In Hormozgan, officials continued to advise residents to avoid damaged roads and allow emergency access while transport links are managed.

Iran said it has responded by targeting US military bases and equipment in the region, and reported that on Friday it launched missiles and drones at US assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria and Oman. Several provincial administrations said investigations into the latest strikes were continuing and that further details would be announced later.