Space-Based Pictures Show Iran's Naval Forces and Nuclear Locations Targeted by Joint US and Israeli Attacks.
A wave of American and Israeli strikes has allegedly destroyed or damaged at least eleven Iran's navy ships starting the weekend, recently obtained aerial photos reveal, with launch facilities and enrichment plants also being targeted.
Pictures of the southern Konarak naval base and the Bandar Abbas installation, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz and houses the main command of the Iranian navy, show smoke billowing from multiple warships on Monday and Tuesday.
Naval Fleet Sustained Major Damage
Included in the ships sunk was the Makran, Iran's largest naval vessel which had functioned as a drone carrier. Satellite images indicated dark plumes emanating from the vessel which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas naval base.
Intelligence evaluations indicate that at least five ships at the port were "damaged or eliminated". Imagery of the southern end of the port reveal smoke emanating from the IRINS Makran, while another pair of ships seem to be impacted, with one seen burning.
Over at the Konarak base, photos show multiple damaged vessels, with intelligence reports identifying strikes against six ships. Images from Monday also indicate that a number of facilities at the installation have been destroyed.
"For decades the Iranian regime has disrupted global maritime traffic," a senior US military official said. "Today, there is not one Iranian ship at sea in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Sea of Oman, and we will persist."
A number of ships reportedly sunk may have been concealed in satellite images by weather conditions or battle damage, or targeted offshore, and have not been independently verified. Other accounts indicated that an Iranian vessel was foundering off the coast of Sri Lanka's waters, leading to a rescue operation.
Rocket Bases and Nuclear Facilities Targeted
Neutralizing Iran's rocket sites and the stopping nuclear weapons development were listed as further objectives of the military strikes. Aerial imagery also depicted impacts against the southern Khorgu base and northwestern Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak air base, where rocket warehouses and fortifications were hit.
At the Choqa Balk-e drone unmanned aircraft site west of Kermanshah, widespread damage was seen to storage buildings, underground facilities and UAV launching apparatus.
Damage was also seen at a radar site at the Zahedan airbase airbase in eastern Iran, close to the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Significantly, the new round of attacks have apparently focused on installations at the Natanz complex – considered at the center of the country's enrichment efforts. The UN's atomic energy body commented that the affected structures were used for entry to the facility's below-ground enrichment facility and that "no release of radioactive material" was anticipated.
Wider Impact and Analysis
Observers stated that the attacks appeared to have "greatly reduced" the Iran's naval capacity to conduct standard operations using its most significant vessels. Nevertheless, it was emphasised that Iran retains the capacity to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, small submarines and its so-called "shadow fleet" of oil ships.
The overall extent of the damage caused to Iran's defense infrastructure has yet to be fully assessed, with hostilities reportedly persisting. Photos also indicates considerable destruction to the main offices of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran.
A large number of non-military structures also seem to have been struck in the capital and throughout the country since the hostilities began. Reports of deaths from local officials indicate that hundreds of civilians may have been killed in the strikes.
As the situation develops, review of satellite imagery will persist to assess the changing military landscape.