🔗 Share this article

Multiple American and Israeli attacks has allegedly destroyed or damaged at least 11 Iranian naval vessels starting Saturday, new orbital imagery show, with rocket sites and nuclear sites also being targeted.

Images of the southerly Konarak naval military port and the Bandar Abbas port facility, which is located on the strategic Hormuz Strait and contains the main command of the Iranian navy, show plumes of smoke rising from multiple ships on Monday and Tuesday.

Naval Fleet Incurred Substantial Losses

Included in the vessels destroyed was the Makran, the country's largest naval vessel which had functioned as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Orbital photos displayed black smoke pouring from the ship which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas base.

Intelligence assessments indicate that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "damaged or eliminated". Pictures of the southern end of the port show plumes ascending from the Makran, while additional vessels are visibly impacted, with a single one clearly on fire.

Over at the Konarak base, images reveal numerous damaged vessels, with intelligence reports identifying strikes against six ships. Images from the start of the week also demonstrate that several structures at the base have been destroyed.

"For a long time the Iran's leadership has disrupted commercial vessels," the head of US Central Command declared. "Now, there is not one Iranian vessel operational in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will continue."

Some vessels reportedly destroyed may have been obscured in aerial photos by weather conditions or battle damage, or struck at sea, and have not been conclusively proven. Separate reports suggested that an Iranian vessel was sinking near Sri Lankan waters, leading to a search and rescue mission.

Missile Bases and Atomic Locations Hit

Neutralizing Iran's rocket sites and the stopping enrichment activities were stated as further objectives of the military strikes. Satellite images also revealed impacts against the southerly Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz missile missile bases, and at the Konarak air base, where missile storage facilities and bunkers were targeted.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone unmanned aircraft site west of the city of Kermanshah, significant damage was seen to warehouses, underground facilities and UAV launching apparatus.

Damage was also noted at a radar site at the Zahedan military airport in eastern parts of the country, close to the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Of particular note, the new round of strikes have reportedly focused on facilities at Natanz – long said to be at the core of Iran's enrichment efforts. An international watchdog commented that the affected buildings were used for entry to the site's underground nuclear plant and that "no release of radioactive material" was expected.

Wider Fallout and Assessment

Observers indicated that the strikes appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval capacity to sustain standard operations using its biggest warships. Nevertheless, it was emphasised that Tehran maintains the option to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, mini-submarines and its so-called "ghost fleet" of oil ships.

The full extent of the destruction caused to Iran's defense facilities has yet to be fully assessed, with attacks said to be continuing. Photos also shows widespread damage to the headquarters of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran.

A significant number of public facilities also appear to have been hit in the capital city and across the country after the fighting began. Casualty figures from local officials state that hundreds of civilians may have been killed in the attacks.

With the conflict ongoing, analysis of satellite imagery will carry on to document the evolving battlefield picture.