(CNN)—Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei responded to the photo published by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, showing a maritime observation tower targeted and destroyed by a US strike.

Baghaei posted the photo on his X page (formerly Twitter) along with a picture of the tower before it was struck, saying in an attached statement: "The maritime observation tower in Chabahar – a civilian facility dedicated to maritime safety and navigation – was deliberately targeted by the United States on June 16, as part of its ongoing aggression that began on February 28; the US Secretary of War proudly published footage of the tower's collapse.. Had he the chance, he would likely have broadcast the deadly missile attack on Minab school and the massacre of civilians in Lamerd with the same chilling pride."

He added: "Last night, the United States also attacked energy facilities and desalination pumps at the pier of Bonji village in Jask, depriving more than 10,000 people of drinking water.. For a country that has long positioned itself as a global champion of order, liberalism, and the war on terror, no 'victory' remains except the proud display of images of destroyed bridges and civilian infrastructure."

He continued: "Nevertheless, with the collapse of every bridge, every tower, and every civilian facility, it is not just steel and concrete that turn to rubble; rather, America's moral standing – along with the entire structure of international law and the West's civilizational claims – is crumbling before the eyes of the world.. The question that must now be put to America and its allies is direct and simple: What is the real difference between what they did in Chabahar, Minab, Lamerd, and Jask, and the very acts of terrorism they once used to justify their wars and occupations?"