The U.S. military announced the destruction of a watchtower used by Iran to track ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that it destroyed the watchtower yesterday (Thursday) at the Shahid Kalantari port in the Iranian city of Chabahar. It noted that it was "part of a network for maritime surveillance along Iran's coast overlooking the Gulf of Oman."

Central Command mentioned via the platform "X" that this network had been used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard for decades to track and target commercial vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.

It added that the destruction of the tower directly weakens the Revolutionary Guard's ability to coordinate attacks against civilian ship crews, affirming that the strike protects the freedom of navigation in the territorial waters for all ships, except those attempting to violate the U.S. maritime blockade imposed on Iran.

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Iran on Friday to respect the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron had said a few hours earlier, after a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: "We are facing a fierce trade war with China."

Iran had previously announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. forces launched successive waves of airstrikes that they claim target coastal defense systems and sites for storing and launching cruise missiles.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross expressed its deep concern over the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East and their impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

It warned that the resurgence of violence would have dire consequences for the lives of millions of people, their homes, hospitals, and the energy infrastructure they rely on.

The committee urged all parties to take all necessary measures to minimize harm to civilians, clarifying that military operations should be planned and conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The International Committee of the Red Cross called in its statement for the protection of civilians and infrastructure.