Satellite Imagery Show Iranian Naval Forces and Atomic Sites Hit by American and Israeli Military Action.
A wave of US and Israeli attacks has according to analysis destroyed or damaged a minimum of 11 Iranian naval vessels starting the weekend, new orbital imagery reveal, with launch facilities and atomic facilities also sustaining hits.
Images of the southerly Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas installation, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and is home to the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, depict black smoke pouring from a number of vessels on Monday and Tuesday.
Naval Fleet Sustained Major Losses
Included in the targets eliminated was the Makran, Iran's most sizable ship which had served as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Satellite images displayed thick smoke rising from the ship which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas base.
Intelligence reports suggest that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "damaged or eliminated". Photos of the southern end of the harbor reveal smoke emanating from the Makran, while another pair of vessels appear to be impacted, with a single one visibly ablaze.
Over at the Konarak base, photos display numerous damaged ships, with expert review pointing to damage to six vessels. Photos taken on Monday also show that multiple structures at the installation have been destroyed.
"For decades the Iranian regime has threatened global maritime traffic," the head of US Central Command said. "Today, there is no Iranian ship underway in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will persist."
A number of vessels allegedly destroyed may have been obscured in satellite images by cloud or smoke, or hit in open waters, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Other accounts indicated that one Iranian ship was sinking near Sri Lankan waters, leading to a search and rescue mission.
Missile Bases and Nuclear Locations Targeted
The destruction of Iran's rocket sites and the prevention of atomic bomb programs were listed as additional objectives of the air campaign. Satellite images also showed strikes on the southerly Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak air air base, where weapons bunkers and fortifications were hit.
At the Choqa Balk-e drone UAV facility west of Kermanshah, extensive damage was seen to storage buildings, bunkers and drone launch equipment.
Impact was also seen at a radar installation at the Zahedan airbase military airport in eastern parts of the country, near the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Significantly, the latest wave of strikes have reportedly hit facilities at Natanz β considered at the center of Iran's nuclear programme. The UN's atomic energy body commented that the damaged buildings were used for entry to the facility's below-ground nuclear plant and that "no nuclear fallout" was likely.
Wider Consequences and Analysis
Military analysts indicated that the strikes appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval ability to sustain standard operations using its largest vessels. However, it was emphasised that Iran still has the ability to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of drones, mini-submarines and its so-called "ghost fleet" of oil ships.
The overall extent of the destruction caused to Iranian military infrastructure is still uncertain, with strikes said to be ongoing. Photos also indicates considerable damage to the command center of the the IRGC in the capital Tehran.
Numerous of non-military structures also are reported to have been damaged in the capital and throughout Iran since the conflict started. Toll estimates from ground sources suggest that hundreds of civilians may have been fatally injured in the bombardment.
As the situation develops, review of satellite imagery will carry on to assess the unfolding battlefield picture.