Space-Based Photographs Show Iranian Naval Forces and Nuclear Facilities Hit by American and Israeli Airstrikes.
A series of US and Israeli airstrikes has allegedly destroyed or damaged at least eleven warships belonging to Iran starting Saturday, new satellite images demonstrate, with rocket sites and atomic facilities also being targeted.
Photographs of the southerly Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas port facility, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and houses the main command of the Iran's naval force, show black smoke pouring from a number of ships on Monday and Tuesday.
Naval Forces Sustained Major Damage
Among the ships sunk was the Makran, the country's most sizable ship which had served as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Orbital photos showed thick smoke pouring from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical evaluations indicate that no fewer than five ships at Bandar Abbas were "damaged or eliminated". Pictures of the southern end of the harbor depict smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while two other vessels seem to be damaged, with one seen burning.
At the Konarak base, images display numerous harmed ships, with analysis pointing to impacts on six vessels. Photos from the start of the week also demonstrate that several facilities at the base have been destroyed.
"For many years the Iranian regime has harassed global maritime traffic," the head of US Central Command declared. "Now, there is not one Iranian ship operational in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Sea of Oman, and we will not stop."
A number of ships allegedly sunk may have been obscured in aerial photos by weather conditions or battle damage, or targeted offshore, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Additional information suggested that one Iranian ship was foundering off the coast of Sri Lankan waters, resulting in a search and rescue mission.
Rocket Installations and Nuclear Locations Attacked
Neutralizing Iranian missile bases and the hindering of nuclear weapons development were listed as further aims of the offensive. Aerial imagery also revealed strikes on the southerly Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz missile missile bases, and at the Konarak air base, where missile storage facilities and bunkers were struck.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone UAV facility west of Kermanshah, widespread damage was identified to sheds, bunkers and unmanned aircraft systems.
Destruction was also seen at a surveillance station at the Zahedan military airport in eastern Iran, near the frontier with neighboring nations.
Of particular note, the most recent series of attacks have reportedly targeted installations at Natanz – considered at the core of the country's enrichment efforts. An international watchdog stated that the affected structures were used for entry to the facility's underground enrichment facility and that "no nuclear fallout" was expected.
Broader Fallout and Assessment
Military analysts stated that the strikes appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval capacity to conduct conventional attacks using its most significant warships. But, it was noted that Iran maintains the option to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of drones, small submarines and its so-called "shadow fleet" of oil ships.
The total scale of the damage caused to Iranian military facilities has yet to be fully assessed, with hostilities reportedly persisting. Imagery also indicates widespread damage to the main offices of the Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the capital Tehran.
A significant number of non-military structures also are reported to have been struck in the capital and across the country after the hostilities began. Toll estimates from ground sources suggest that hundreds of civilians may have been killed in the bombardment.
Amid continuing hostilities, analysis of aerial photographs will carry on to track the changing scope of damage.