WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. forces on Friday launched a new round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. Eastern Time (1900 GMT), marking the seventh consecutive night of attacks, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The strikes are intended to further degrade Iran's military capabilities, CENTCOM said.

Late Thursday, CENTCOM said U.S. forces, including fighter jets, drones and warships, had carried out precision strikes against dozens of Iranian military targets, including coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime assets.

Among the targets struck was the surveillance tower at Chah Bahar Shahid Kalantari Port, which forms part of a maritime surveillance network along Iran's Gulf of Oman coastline.

According to CENTCOM, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps used the tower to track and target commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.