Aerial Images Reveal Iranian Navy and Nuclear Sites Targeted by US-Israeli Airstrikes.
A wave of American and Israeli airstrikes has reportedly eliminated or harmed a minimum of eleven warships belonging to Iran starting the weekend, recently obtained orbital imagery demonstrate, with launch facilities and nuclear sites also being targeted.
Images of the southern Konarak naval naval base and the Bandar Abbas installation, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz and houses the main command of the Iran's naval force, depict plumes of smoke rising from a number of warships on recent days.
Naval Assets Incurred Substantial Damage
Among the targets eliminated was the Makran, Iran's most sizable ship which had served as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Satellite images indicated black smoke pouring from the ship which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical assessments indicate that no fewer than five ships at the port were "struck or destroyed". Imagery of the south end of the port show smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while two other ships appear to be damaged, with a single one clearly on fire.
Over at Konarak, images reveal several stricken vessels, with expert review identifying damage to a half-dozen warships. Pictures from the start of the week also show that several structures at the base have been leveled.
"For many years the Iran's leadership has threatened global maritime traffic," an American commander stated. "Today, there is no Iranian ship operational in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will continue."
Some ships allegedly destroyed may have been hidden in aerial photos by weather conditions or battle damage, or hit in open waters, and have not been conclusively proven. Other accounts stated that a ship from Iran was sinking near Sri Lankan territorial waters, leading to a rescue operation.
Missile Bases and Atomic Facilities Targeted
Neutralizing Tehran's launch facilities and the stopping enrichment activities were stated as additional goals of the military strikes. Satellite images also showed strikes on the southern Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz missile missile bases, and at the Konarak base, where weapons bunkers and fortifications were hit.
Over at the Choqa Balk-e UAV facility west of the city of Kermanshah, significant damage was seen to warehouses, bunkers and unmanned aircraft systems.
Destruction was also observed at a radar installation at the Zahedan military airport in eastern parts of the country, close to the border with neighboring nations.
Of particular note, the latest wave of strikes have apparently hit facilities at the Natanz complex – considered at the heart of the country's enrichment efforts. The UN's atomic energy body commented that the damaged structures were used for access to the site's below-ground nuclear plant and that "no nuclear fallout" was expected.
Wider Impact and Assessment
Military analysts indicated that the attacks appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iranian navy's capacity to conduct traditional warfare using its biggest warships. Nevertheless, it was noted that Tehran still has the capacity to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, midget subs and its so-called "ghost fleet" of oil ships.
The overall scale of the destruction caused to Iranian military facilities remains unclear, with strikes said to be ongoing. Photos also reveals widespread damage to the headquarters of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran.
Numerous of non-military structures also appear to have been damaged in the capital city and across Iran after the conflict started. Toll estimates from local officials state that many hundreds of civilians may have been killed in the strikes.
Amid continuing hostilities, review of space-based data will continue to document the evolving battlefield picture.