Space-Based Photographs Indicate Iranian Naval Forces and Atomic Facilities Damaged by Joint US and Israeli Airstrikes.
Multiple American and Israeli attacks has according to analysis destroyed or damaged at least 11 warships belonging to Iran starting Saturday, recently obtained aerial photos reveal, with rocket sites and nuclear sites also sustaining hits.
Pictures of the southern Konarak naval military port and the Bandar Abbas installation, which is located on the Strait of Hormuz and houses the headquarters of the Iranian navy, show black smoke pouring from a number of warships on Monday and Tuesday.
Naval Fleet Incurred Significant Damage
Among the vessels destroyed was the IRINS Makran, Iran's biggest warship which had served as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Orbital photos showed dark plumes rising from the ship which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical assessments indicate that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "struck or destroyed". Photos of the southern end of the port depict plumes ascending from the IRINS Makran, while two other ships appear to be harmed, with a single one seen burning.
At the Konarak base, photos reveal multiple harmed ships, with expert review pointing to damage to six vessels. Photos taken on the start of the week also show that multiple facilities at the base have been demolished.
"For decades the Tehran government has harassed global maritime traffic," a senior US military official declared. "Today, there is not a single vessel from Iran operational in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman, and we will persist."
Some ships reportedly destroyed may have been obscured in satellite images by cloud or smoke, or hit in open waters, and have not been independently verified. Separate reports suggested that a ship from Iran was going down near Sri Lanka's waters, prompting a rescue operation.
Rocket Bases and Nuclear Facilities Targeted
Eliminating Iranian missile bases and the prevention of nuclear weapons development were declared as further aims of the air campaign. Aerial imagery also depicted damage at the southerly Khorgu base and northwestern Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak air base, where weapons bunkers and fortifications were struck.
At the Choqa Balk-e UAV facility west 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 airbase airbase in eastern parts of the country, near the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Of particular note, the new round of attacks have reportedly targeted sites at the Natanz complex – considered at the core of Iran's nuclear programme. The UN's atomic energy body said that the affected buildings were used for access to the facility's below-ground nuclear plant and that "no radiological consequence" was likely.
Wider Fallout and Analysis
Observers suggested that the attacks appeared to have "greatly reduced" the Iranian navy's capacity to conduct traditional warfare using its most significant warships. But, it was noted that Tehran retains the ability to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of drones, midget subs and its so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers.
The overall scope of the destruction caused to Iran's defense infrastructure is still uncertain, with hostilities reportedly continuing. Pictures also indicates extensive destruction to the command center of the Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the city of Tehran.
A significant number of civilian buildings also are reported to have been struck in the capital and throughout the country after the conflict escalated. Casualty figures from ground sources suggest that many hundreds of civilians may have been fatally injured in the strikes.
As the situation develops, review of aerial photographs will continue to assess the evolving scope of damage.