Orbital Images Reveal Iranian Navy and Atomic Sites Struck by American and Israeli Airstrikes.
Multiple American and Israeli strikes has reportedly destroyed or damaged a minimum of eleven warships belonging to Iran starting the weekend, new orbital imagery show, with missile bases and atomic facilities also coming under fire.
Photographs of the southern Konarak naval base and the Bandar Abbas installation, which overlooks the strategic Hormuz Strait and houses the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, reveal black smoke pouring from a number of warships on recent days.
Maritime Assets Sustained Significant Damage
Among the targets eliminated was the Makran, the country's largest naval vessel which had been used as a drone carrier. Orbital photos indicated thick smoke emanating from the ship which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical evaluations indicate that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "struck or destroyed". Imagery of the southern end of the harbor show plumes ascending from the Makran, while additional vessels appear to be impacted, with one visibly ablaze.
At the Konarak base, photos reveal numerous damaged vessels, with analysis pointing to impacts on a half-dozen warships. Images taken on the start of the week also demonstrate that a number of facilities at the base have been destroyed.
"For a long time the Tehran government has threatened international shipping," an American commander stated. "Now, there is not a single vessel from Iran underway in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will continue."
A number of ships allegedly sunk may have been concealed in satellite images by weather conditions or battle damage, or targeted offshore, and have not been conclusively proven. Additional information indicated that a ship from Iran was going down near Sri Lanka's waters, resulting in a rescue operation.
Missile Sites and Atomic Facilities Attacked
Eliminating Tehran's launch facilities and the stopping nuclear weapons development were listed as additional goals of the military strikes. Satellite images also depicted strikes on the southern Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak air base, where missile storage facilities and fortifications were targeted.
At the Choqa Balk-e drone drone base to the west of Kermanshah, widespread destruction was identified to sheds, underground facilities and unmanned aircraft systems.
Impact was also noted at a surveillance station at the Zahedan airbase military airport in eastern Iran, near the border with neighboring nations.
Of particular note, the latest wave of strikes have reportedly hit facilities at Natanz – considered at the center of the country's atomic program. An international watchdog said that the affected structures were used for entry to the site's below-ground nuclear plant and that "no release of radioactive material" was likely.
Broader Fallout and Analysis
Defense experts stated that the offensive appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iranian navy's ability to conduct conventional attacks using its largest vessels. However, it was stressed that Tehran still has the option to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, small submarines and its so-called "ghost fleet" of oil ships.
The overall extent of the destruction caused to Iran's defense facilities has yet to be fully assessed, with strikes said to be persisting. Imagery also shows extensive destruction to the command center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the capital Tehran.
Numerous of non-military structures also are reported to have been struck in the capital and across the country after the fighting started. Reports of deaths from ground sources state that many hundreds of non-combatants may have been killed in the attacks.
As the situation develops, analysis of satellite imagery will continue to track the evolving military landscape.