Aerial Pictures Show Iran's Navy and Nuclear Sites Damaged by US-Israeli Airstrikes.
A wave of US and Israeli attacks has according to analysis destroyed or damaged a minimum of 11 Iran's navy ships since the weekend, new satellite images demonstrate, with rocket sites and nuclear sites also coming under fire.
Photographs of the southerly Konarak naval naval base and the Bandar Abbas port installation, which is located on the Strait of Hormuz and houses the headquarters of the Iranian navy, reveal plumes of smoke rising from a number of vessels on recent days.
Naval Assets Incurred Substantial Damage
Among the ships sunk was the IRINS Makran, Iran's biggest warship which had served as a drone carrier. Satellite images indicated dark plumes rising from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas base.
Analytical evaluations state that no fewer than five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "struck or destroyed". Pictures of the south end of the harbor depict smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while another pair of vessels are visibly damaged, with one clearly on fire.
At the Konarak base, images reveal several damaged ships, with analysis identifying damage to a half-dozen warships. Pictures from the start of the week also show that multiple facilities at the base have been demolished.
"For decades the Iran's leadership has threatened international shipping," the head of US Central Command declared. "Now, there is no Iranian vessel at sea in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman, and we will continue."
A number of vessels allegedly sunk may have been concealed in aerial photos by weather conditions or battle damage, or hit in open waters, and have not been conclusively proven. Additional information suggested that a ship from Iran was going down near Sri Lankan territorial waters, prompting a rescue operation.
Rocket Bases and Nuclear Facilities Hit
The destruction of Iran's rocket sites and the prevention of nuclear weapons development were listed as other objectives of the air campaign. Satellite images also depicted damage at the southerly Khorgu base and northwestern Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak air base, where weapons bunkers and bunkers were targeted.
At the Choqa Balk-e unmanned aircraft site west of the city of Kermanshah, widespread damage was identified to storage buildings, underground facilities and drone launch equipment.
Impact was also observed at a radar installation at the Zahedan military airport in eastern Iran, near the border with neighboring nations.
Of particular note, the most recent series of strikes have reportedly focused on installations at the Natanz complex – considered at the heart of Iran's nuclear programme. A global monitoring agency stated that the affected structures were used for entry to the facility's underground enrichment facility and that "no release of radioactive material" was likely.
Broader Impact and Analysis
Observers stated that the offensive appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval capacity to conduct standard operations using its biggest vessels. However, it was noted that Tehran still has the capacity to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, midget subs and its so-called "ghost fleet" of tankers.
The overall scale of the damage caused to Iranian military facilities remains unclear, with attacks reportedly ongoing. Photos also reveals considerable damage to the command center of the the IRGC in the capital Tehran.
A large number of non-military structures also seem to have been hit in the capital and across the country since the conflict escalated. Reports of deaths from inside Iran state that a high number of non-combatants may have been lost their lives in the strikes.
Amid continuing hostilities, monitoring of aerial photographs will continue to track the evolving battlefield picture.