Satellite Photographs Indicate Iranian Navy and Nuclear Locations Damaged by American and Israeli Attacks.
A series of US and Israeli airstrikes has reportedly eliminated or harmed no fewer than 11 Iranian naval vessels since Saturday, recently obtained aerial photos show, with launch facilities and nuclear sites also coming under fire.
Images of the southern Konarak naval military port and the Bandar Abbas installation, which overlooks the strategic Hormuz Strait and is home to the headquarters of the Iranian navy, depict smoke billowing from a number of ships on Monday and Tuesday.
Naval Fleet Incurred Major Losses
Included in the vessels destroyed was the IRINS Makran, Iran's biggest warship which had served as a drone carrier. Orbital photos displayed thick smoke rising from the vessel which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical evaluations indicate that at least five ships at Bandar Abbas were "struck or destroyed". Pictures of the south end of the port show smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while additional vessels are visibly harmed, with one clearly on fire.
Over at the Konarak base, images reveal several damaged vessels, with intelligence reports pointing to impacts on six vessels. Pictures from the start of the week also show that multiple buildings at the base have been destroyed.
"For decades the Tehran government has harassed international shipping," the head of US Central Command said. "Now, there is no Iranian ship at sea in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman, and we will not stop."
A number of ships allegedly destroyed may have been concealed in aerial photos by weather conditions or battle damage, or hit in open waters, and have not been conclusively proven. Additional information stated that an Iranian vessel was foundering near Sri Lankan waters, prompting a rescue operation.
Missile Installations and Nuclear Locations Hit
Eliminating Iranian missile bases and the prevention of atomic bomb programs were stated as additional objectives of the air campaign. Aerial imagery also depicted strikes on the southern Khorgu base and northwestern Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak air base, where rocket warehouses and fortifications were struck.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e unmanned aircraft site to the west of Kermanshah, significant destruction was identified to sheds, bunkers and UAV launching apparatus.
Destruction was also observed at a surveillance station at the Zahedan military airport in eastern parts of the country, close to the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Perhaps most notably, the new round of strikes have reportedly hit facilities at Natanz – widely believed to be at the core of Iran's enrichment efforts. A global monitoring agency commented that the affected buildings were used for entry to the facility's below-ground enrichment facility and that "no nuclear fallout" was likely.
Broader Fallout and Assessment
Military analysts stated that the attacks appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iran's naval capability to conduct standard operations using its biggest warships. But, it was emphasised that Tehran still has the capacity to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of drones, mini-submarines and its so-called "ghost fleet" of oil ships.
The full scope of the destruction caused to Iranian military infrastructure has yet to be fully assessed, with hostilities said to be continuing. Imagery also reveals considerable damage to the command center of the the IRGC in the capital Tehran.
A large number of non-military structures also appear to have been struck in the capital city and across Iran after the fighting started. Reports of deaths from ground sources state that hundreds of non-combatants may have been killed in the strikes.
As the situation develops, monitoring of aerial photographs will carry on to assess the unfolding military landscape.