Orbital Imagery Show Iran's Navy and Atomic Locations Hit by American and Israeli Strikes.
Multiple US and Israeli airstrikes has allegedly sunk or crippled no fewer than 11 Iranian naval vessels starting the weekend, recently obtained satellite images reveal, with missile bases and atomic facilities also being targeted.
Pictures of the southern Konarak naval military port and the Bandar Abbas port installation, which is located on the Strait of Hormuz and contains the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, reveal plumes of smoke rising from a number of warships on the start of the week.
Naval Fleet Sustained Significant Damage
Among the vessels destroyed was the IRINS Makran, the country's most sizable ship which had served as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Satellite images displayed black smoke pouring from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas naval base.
Analytical assessments indicate that at least five ships at Bandar Abbas were "hit or sunk". Pictures of the south end of the port show smoke emanating from the IRINS Makran, while two other vessels seem to be impacted, with a single one clearly on fire.
Over at the Konarak base, photos display numerous damaged ships, with analysis identifying damage to six vessels. Pictures from the start of the week also indicate that multiple structures at the installation have been demolished.
"For a long time the Iran's leadership has threatened global maritime traffic," an American commander declared. "Now, there is not a single vessel from Iran operational in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman, and we will not stop."
Some vessels allegedly destroyed may have been hidden in aerial photos by weather conditions or battle damage, or hit in open waters, and have not been conclusively proven. Separate reports suggested that a ship from Iran was sinking near Sri Lankan territorial waters, prompting a search and rescue mission.
Rocket Sites and Nuclear Locations Attacked
The destruction of Iranian missile bases and the stopping enrichment activities were declared as other aims of the air campaign. Aerial imagery also revealed strikes on the southern Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak base, where weapons bunkers and fortifications were struck.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e unmanned aircraft site west of the city of Kermanshah, widespread destruction was identified to storage buildings, underground facilities and UAV launching apparatus.
Impact was also noted at a surveillance station at the Zahedan airbase airbase in eastern parts of the country, close to the frontier with neighboring nations.
Of particular note, the new round of strikes have reportedly hit facilities at the Natanz complex – widely believed to be at the center of Iran's atomic program. A global monitoring agency stated that the affected structures were used for access to the site's underground enrichment facility and that "no radiological consequence" was expected.
Wider Impact and Analysis
Defense experts suggested that the offensive appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iranian navy's capacity to conduct conventional attacks using its biggest vessels. Nevertheless, it was noted that Iran maintains the option to launch asymmetric warfare at sea through the use of drones, midget subs and its so-called "ghost fleet" of tankers.
The overall extent of the damage caused to Iranian military infrastructure has yet to be fully assessed, with strikes said to be persisting. Photos also shows widespread destruction to the command center of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran.
Numerous of civilian buildings also are reported to have been hit in the capital city and across Iran since the hostilities began. Reports of deaths from inside Iran state that a high number of civilians may have been killed in the attacks.
As the situation develops, review of space-based data will continue to track the unfolding scope of damage.