U.S. forces destroyed an Iranian surveillance tower on Thursday, used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to target ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

“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 vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command announced on Friday, sharing footage of the strike.

“The destruction of the tower directly degrades IRGC’s ability to coordinate attacks on innocent civilian crew members,” CENTCOM stated.

It noted that the strike protects freedom of navigation in the waterway, but that a U.S. naval blockade will continue against Iranian-linked vessels.

The command also rejected claims made on Friday that Iranian forces had captured or killed American troops in Syria.

“Claim: Iranian forces claim they attacked al-Tanf Garrison in Syria and captured or killed American troops in the process. False,” CENTCOM stated. “Fact: No U.S. troops in the region have recently been killed or captured.”

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