Orbital Images Indicate Iranian Naval Forces and Nuclear Sites Struck by US-Israeli Attacks.
Multiple US and Israeli airstrikes has reportedly sunk or crippled a minimum of 11 Iran's navy ships starting Saturday, new aerial photos reveal, with launch facilities and nuclear sites also sustaining hits.
Images of the southern Konarak naval military port and the Bandar Abbas installation, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz and houses the headquarters of the Iranian navy, depict black smoke pouring from multiple warships on recent days.
Maritime Assets Incurred Major Losses
Among the ships sunk was the IRINS Makran, Iran's most sizable ship which had served as a drone carrier. Aerial imagery indicated thick smoke pouring from the vessel which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical evaluations indicate that no fewer than five vessels at the port were "struck or destroyed". Pictures of the south end of the harbor reveal smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while additional vessels seem to be impacted, with one visibly ablaze.
At Konarak, photos show several harmed vessels, with intelligence reports identifying impacts on a half-dozen warships. Pictures from Monday also demonstrate that multiple structures at the installation have been leveled.
"For decades the Iranian regime has threatened international shipping," a senior US military official stated. "At present, there is no vessel from Iran underway in the Arabian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Gulf of Oman, and we will continue."
A number of ships allegedly destroyed may have been hidden in satellite images by cloud or smoke, or hit in open waters, and have not been independently verified. Separate reports stated that a ship from Iran was foundering near Sri Lanka's waters, leading to a search and rescue mission.
Missile Bases and Atomic Facilities Attacked
Eliminating Iranian missile bases and the hindering of enrichment activities were listed as further goals of the military strikes. Satellite images also showed impacts against the southern Khorgu and northwestern Tabriz facilities, and at the Konarak base, where weapons bunkers and fortifications were struck.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e unmanned aircraft site to the west of Kermanshah, widespread damage was identified to sheds, underground facilities and drone launch equipment.
Damage was also seen at a radar installation at the Zahedan airbase in eastern Iran, close to the border with neighboring nations.
Perhaps most notably, the most recent series of attacks have reportedly targeted installations at Natanz – considered at the heart of Iran's atomic program. An international watchdog said that the damaged buildings were used for entry to the facility's underground nuclear plant and that "no nuclear fallout" was expected.
Broader Fallout and Analysis
Military analysts stated that the strikes appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iran's naval ability to conduct traditional warfare using its biggest warships. However, it was stressed that Iran still has the option to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of drones, midget subs and its so-called "clandestine network" of tankers.
The total scale of the destruction caused to Iran's defense facilities remains unclear, with hostilities reportedly ongoing. Pictures also indicates considerable damage to the main offices of the the IRGC in the capital Tehran.
A large number of civilian buildings also appear to have been struck in the capital city and throughout Iran after the conflict began. Reports of deaths from inside Iran suggest that hundreds of civilians may have been fatally injured in the bombardment.
As the situation develops, analysis of satellite imagery will carry on to track the changing battlefield picture.