Space-Based Images Show Iranian Navy and Nuclear Sites Targeted by American and Israeli Strikes.
A wave of US and Israeli airstrikes has reportedly eliminated or harmed at least eleven warships belonging to Iran since the weekend, recently obtained satellite images demonstrate, with missile bases and atomic facilities also being targeted.
Photographs of the southerly Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas port facility, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and is home to the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, show smoke billowing from several ships on recent days.
Maritime Forces Sustained Major Losses
Among the targets eliminated was the IRINS Makran, the country's biggest warship which had functioned as a drone carrier. Aerial imagery indicated black smoke rising from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas naval base.
Intelligence evaluations indicate that at least five ships at Bandar Abbas were "damaged or eliminated". Imagery of the south end of the harbor depict smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while additional vessels seem to be impacted, with one seen burning.
Over at Konarak, photos reveal multiple harmed ships, with expert review identifying strikes against six ships. Pictures taken on the start of the week also indicate that a number of structures at the installation have been destroyed.
"For decades the Iranian regime has threatened global maritime traffic," the head of US Central Command stated. "Now, there is not a single vessel from Iran underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will not stop."
A number of vessels reportedly sunk may have been hidden in aerial photos by cloud or smoke, or struck at sea, and have not been conclusively proven. Other accounts indicated that an Iranian vessel was foundering near Sri Lankan territorial waters, resulting in a search and rescue mission.
Rocket Sites and Nuclear Locations Hit
Neutralizing Iran's rocket sites and the hindering of atomic bomb programs were declared as further objectives of the air campaign. Aerial imagery also depicted damage at the southern Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak air air base, where rocket warehouses and bunkers were hit.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e UAV facility to the west of the city of Kermanshah, extensive destruction was identified to sheds, bunkers and unmanned aircraft systems.
Destruction was also seen at a radar site at the Zahedan airbase military airport in eastern parts of the country, near the frontier with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Significantly, the new round of attacks have reportedly focused on installations at Natanz – long said to be at the center of Iran's enrichment efforts. The UN's atomic energy body stated that the damaged structures were used for entry to the facility's below-ground nuclear plant and that "no nuclear fallout" was likely.
Broader Fallout and Assessment
Observers stated that the attacks appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval capability to conduct conventional attacks using its biggest vessels. Nevertheless, it was noted that Iran maintains the option to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of drones, small submarines and its so-called "ghost fleet" of oil ships.
The full extent of the destruction caused to Iran's defense infrastructure is still uncertain, with attacks said to be persisting. Imagery also indicates extensive damage to the command center of the Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the capital Tehran.
A large number of civilian buildings also appear to have been struck in the capital and across the country since the hostilities began. Reports of deaths from local officials suggest that many hundreds of non-combatants may have been killed in the attacks.
Amid continuing hostilities, monitoring of satellite imagery will continue to track the evolving military landscape.