Satellite Imagery Reveal Iranian Navy and Nuclear Facilities Hit by US-Israeli Strikes.
A series of joint strikes has reportedly destroyed or damaged at least 11 Iranian naval vessels starting Saturday, new aerial photos show, with missile bases and nuclear sites also sustaining hits.
Pictures of the southerly Konarak naval naval base and the Bandar Abbas facility, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and is home to the headquarters of the Iranian navy, depict smoke billowing from multiple ships on recent days.
Naval Assets Sustained Substantial Losses
Included in the ships sunk was the Makran, the country's biggest warship which had functioned as a drone carrier. Satellite images indicated black smoke pouring from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical assessments suggest that no fewer than five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "hit or sunk". Pictures of the southern end of the harbor depict smoke emanating from the IRINS Makran, while another pair of ships appear to be damaged, with one seen burning.
At Konarak, photos reveal several stricken ships, with analysis identifying impacts on six ships. Pictures from the start of the week also demonstrate that several facilities at the base have been destroyed.
"For a long time the Iranian regime has threatened international shipping," the head of US Central Command declared. "At present, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Sea of Oman, and we will continue."
Some vessels allegedly destroyed may have been concealed in aerial photos by haze or plumes, or struck at sea, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Separate reports indicated that an Iranian vessel was foundering off the coast of Sri Lankan waters, prompting a search and rescue mission.
Missile Installations and Atomic Facilities Attacked
The destruction of Iran's rocket sites and the hindering of nuclear weapons development were listed as further objectives of the offensive. Aerial imagery also showed strikes on the southerly Khorgu and north-western Tabriz facilities, and at the Konarak base, where missile storage facilities and fortifications were struck.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone UAV facility to the west of Kermanshah, significant damage was seen to warehouses, bunkers and UAV launching apparatus.
Damage was also seen at a surveillance station at the Zahedan military airport in eastern parts of the country, near the frontier with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Of particular note, the latest wave of strikes have reportedly hit installations at the Natanz complex – long said to be at the heart of the country's enrichment efforts. An international watchdog commented that the damaged buildings were used for access to the facility's underground enrichment facility and that "no nuclear fallout" was likely.
Broader Fallout and Analysis
Military analysts stated that the attacks appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iranian navy's capacity to carry out conventional attacks using its biggest warships. But, it was noted that Tehran still has the capacity to launch asymmetric warfare at sea through the use of drones, midget subs and its so-called "clandestine network" of tankers.
The overall extent of the destruction caused to Iran's defense facilities remains unclear, with attacks said to be continuing. Photos also shows extensive damage to the command center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the capital Tehran.
Numerous of non-military structures also seem to have been struck in the capital city and throughout Iran since the conflict began. Casualty figures from local officials suggest that a high number of non-combatants may have been killed in the bombardment.
As the situation develops, review of satellite imagery will carry on to assess the evolving military landscape.