Satellite Pictures Show Iranian Navy and Atomic Sites Struck by Joint US and Israeli Airstrikes.
A series of joint strikes has allegedly destroyed or damaged a minimum of eleven Iran's navy ships since Saturday, recently obtained aerial photos reveal, with launch facilities and atomic facilities also being targeted.
Pictures of the southerly Konarak naval military port and the Bandar Abbas installation, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and contains the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, depict smoke billowing from multiple warships on Monday and Tuesday.
Naval Fleet Sustained Substantial Losses
Among the targets eliminated was the Makran, Iran's most sizable ship which had served as a drone carrier. Aerial imagery indicated black smoke rising from the ship which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical evaluations indicate that no fewer than five ships at the port were "hit or sunk". Pictures of the southern end of the harbor show smoke rising from the Makran, while additional vessels appear to be harmed, with one clearly on fire.
At Konarak, images reveal multiple stricken ships, with intelligence reports identifying impacts on six ships. Photos taken on the start of the week also show that several facilities at the installation have been destroyed.
"For decades the Iranian regime has disrupted global maritime traffic," a senior US military official said. "Now, there is no Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Gulf of Oman, and we will continue."
Some vessels reportedly sunk may have been concealed in aerial photos by cloud or smoke, or hit in open waters, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Separate reports suggested that one Iranian ship was sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka's waters, resulting in a rescue operation.
Missile Installations and Nuclear Facilities Hit
The destruction of Tehran's launch facilities and the prevention of atomic bomb programs were listed as further objectives of the air campaign. Satellite images also revealed damage at the southerly Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak base, where weapons bunkers and fortifications were struck.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone unmanned aircraft site to the west of Kermanshah, significant destruction was identified to warehouses, underground facilities and UAV launching apparatus.
Destruction was also seen at a radar site at the Zahedan airbase in eastern Iran, near the frontier with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Of particular note, the most recent series of attacks have apparently targeted sites at the Natanz complex â long said to be at the heart of the country's nuclear programme. An international watchdog stated that the damaged buildings were used for entry to the site's underground nuclear plant and that "no radiological consequence" was anticipated.
Broader Consequences and Assessment
Observers stated that the strikes appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iran's naval capability to conduct traditional warfare using its largest vessels. However, it was emphasised 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 oil ships.
The overall extent of the destruction caused to Iran's defense facilities is still uncertain, with attacks said to be ongoing. Imagery also reveals widespread destruction to the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the capital Tehran.
Numerous of public facilities also are reported to have been damaged in the capital and across the country since the conflict started. Reports of deaths from local officials state that many hundreds of civilians may have been lost their lives in the attacks.
Amid continuing hostilities, analysis of aerial photographs will continue to track the evolving military landscape.