Satellite Pictures Reveal Iran's Naval Forces and Atomic Locations Hit by US-Israeli Airstrikes.
A series of American and Israeli strikes has allegedly sunk or crippled no fewer than eleven warships belonging to Iran since Saturday, freshly analyzed satellite images demonstrate, with rocket sites and enrichment plants also coming under fire.
Photographs of the southern Konarak naval base and the Bandar Abbas port facility, which overlooks the strategic Hormuz Strait and contains the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, show plumes of smoke rising from multiple warships on recent days.
Naval Assets Sustained Substantial Losses
Included in the vessels destroyed was the IRINS Makran, the country's largest naval vessel which had served as a drone carrier. Aerial imagery indicated thick smoke pouring from the ship which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas naval base.
Intelligence reports state that at least five ships at Bandar Abbas were "hit or sunk". Photos of the south end of the port reveal smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while another pair of ships appear to be damaged, with a single one clearly on fire.
At the Konarak base, images show numerous stricken vessels, with intelligence reports pointing to damage to six vessels. Photos from Monday also indicate that several facilities at the base have been destroyed.
"For many years the Iranian regime has harassed commercial vessels," the head of US Central Command declared. "Now, there is no Iranian ship underway in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman, and we will persist."
A number of vessels reportedly sunk may have been obscured in aerial photos by haze or plumes, or targeted offshore, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Separate reports suggested that a ship from Iran was sinking near Sri Lankan waters, resulting in a rescue operation.
Rocket Installations and Atomic Facilities Attacked
The destruction of Iran's rocket sites and the hindering of atomic bomb programs were declared as further goals of the air campaign. Satellite images also revealed impacts against the southerly Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak air base, where missile storage facilities and bunkers were targeted.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone unmanned aircraft site west of the city of Kermanshah, extensive destruction was observed to sheds, underground facilities and unmanned aircraft systems.
Damage was also noted at a radar installation at the Zahedan military airport in eastern parts of the country, close to the border with neighboring nations.
Of particular note, the new round of attacks have reportedly targeted facilities at Natanz – widely believed to be at the core of Iran's atomic program. An international watchdog commented that the affected buildings were used for access to the site's underground nuclear plant and that "no release of radioactive material" was expected.
Wider Consequences and Assessment
Military analysts stated that the strikes appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iran's naval ability to conduct conventional attacks using its biggest warships. But, it was stressed that Tehran maintains the ability to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, small submarines and its so-called "clandestine network" of tankers.
The overall extent of the destruction caused to Iranian military facilities remains unclear, with strikes said to be persisting. Pictures also reveals considerable destruction to the headquarters of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran.
Numerous of civilian buildings also are reported to have been struck in the capital city and across Iran since the fighting escalated. Casualty figures from ground sources suggest that hundreds of civilians may have been lost their lives in the attacks.
With the conflict ongoing, review of space-based data will carry on to track the changing military landscape.