Aerial Images Show Iranian Naval Forces and Nuclear Locations Damaged by American and Israeli Airstrikes.
A series of US and Israeli attacks has according to analysis destroyed or damaged a minimum of 11 Iran's navy ships starting the weekend, new aerial photos show, with launch facilities and atomic facilities also being targeted.
Pictures of the southerly Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas port installation, which is located on the Strait of Hormuz and contains the main command of the Iran's naval force, reveal black smoke pouring from multiple warships on the start of the week.
Naval Fleet Incurred Major Damage
Included in the ships sunk was the IRINS Makran, the country's largest naval vessel which had been used as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Satellite images indicated dark plumes emanating from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas base.
Intelligence assessments state that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "damaged or eliminated". Imagery of the southern part of the harbor reveal smoke emanating from the Makran, while additional vessels appear to be impacted, with one clearly on fire.
Over at the Konarak base, images show numerous harmed vessels, with expert review identifying strikes against six vessels. Photos taken on Monday also show that several facilities at the base have been demolished.
"For many years the Iran's leadership has disrupted global maritime traffic," a senior US military official declared. "At present, there is no Iranian vessel underway in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Sea of Oman, and we will not stop."
Some ships reportedly destroyed may have been concealed in aerial photos by weather conditions or battle damage, or targeted offshore, and have not been conclusively proven. Other accounts stated that a ship from Iran was sinking near Sri Lanka's waters, prompting a rescue operation.
Missile Bases and Nuclear Locations Attacked
Neutralizing Iran's rocket sites and the prevention of enrichment activities were stated as further aims of the air campaign. Aerial imagery also depicted impacts against the southern Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak air air base, where rocket warehouses and fortifications were struck.
At the Choqa Balk-e UAV facility west of Kermanshah, extensive damage was observed to sheds, bunkers and UAV launching apparatus.
Destruction was also seen at a surveillance station at the Zahedan airbase military airport in eastern Iran, near the frontier with neighboring nations.
Perhaps most notably, the new round of strikes have apparently hit facilities at Natanz – long said to be at the heart of the country's enrichment efforts. An international watchdog said that the affected structures were used for entry to the facility's underground enrichment facility and that "no radiological consequence" was expected.
Broader Fallout and Analysis
Military analysts stated that the attacks appeared to have "greatly reduced" the Iran's naval capacity to sustain standard operations using its biggest vessels. But, it was emphasised that Iran retains the ability to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of drones, small submarines and its so-called "clandestine network" of tankers.
The overall scale of the destruction caused to Iranian military facilities is still uncertain, with hostilities reportedly persisting. Photos also reveals extensive damage to the main offices of the the IRGC in the capital Tehran.
A large number of non-military structures also are reported to have been damaged in the capital and across the country since the hostilities escalated. Toll estimates from ground sources state that many hundreds of civilians may have been killed in the attacks.
Amid continuing hostilities, monitoring of satellite imagery will continue to track the evolving military landscape.