Fresh US airstrikes on Iran's southeastern coast have intensified regional tensions and cast a shadow over India's strategic interests in Chabahar, where New Delhi has made significant infrastructure investments to strengthen trade connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia while bypassing Pakistan.
India operates the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar Port, a key component of its broader regional connectivity strategy.
According to US officials, the overnight operation carried out by US Central Command (Centcom) struck around 90 Iranian military sites and maritime assets. Washington said the action followed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz that it blamed on Tehran, bringing the fragile ceasefire between the two countries to an end.
Most of the strikes were directed at Iranian military facilities in Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and Konarak. However, Chabahar was also targeted, marking the first known US strike on Iran's eastern coastline along the Indian Ocean.
Iranian state media and local authorities reported damage to critical port infrastructure, including the maritime traffic control tower and two marine piers.
The bombardment also disrupted electricity in parts of Chabahar, leaving thousands of residents affected. Local officials said restoration efforts were underway and that two of the three damaged power lines had been temporarily repaired.
US defence officials said the operation focused on assets associated with Iran's capability to threaten commercial shipping and was planned to avoid civilian infrastructure and major energy installations. Authorities in Chabahar nevertheless confirmed that locations near the port area were among those struck.
The latest escalation has renewed uncertainty over India's long-term connectivity ambitions in the region.
Chabahar Port forms the cornerstone of India's efforts to establish an alternative trade corridor to Afghanistan and Central Asia without transiting Pakistan. It is also a vital hub in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which links India with markets across Eurasia.
India further strengthened its presence at the port in May 2024 by signing a 10-year agreement to operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal, a move seen as a major boost to its maritime and trade strategy.
The ongoing conflict now threatens to affect commercial activity at Chabahar and could complicate India's plans to develop a reliable transit route through the region.
The latest military action came after US President Donald Trump declared that the temporary ceasefire with Iran had collapsed.
Trump said the strikes were retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and warned that any future attacks would invite an even stronger response from the United States.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte supported the US action, describing it as necessary in light of repeated threats to maritime security. Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, meanwhile, condemned the strikes and said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen only on Iran's terms.
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