Aerial Pictures Depict Iran's Navy and Nuclear Locations Struck by American and Israeli Airstrikes.
Multiple American and Israeli strikes has according to analysis eliminated or harmed at least 11 Iranian naval vessels since Saturday, recently obtained aerial photos demonstrate, with launch facilities and atomic facilities also coming under fire.
Pictures of the southerly Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas port installation, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and contains the headquarters of the Iranian navy, show black smoke pouring from a number of vessels on the start of the week.
Naval Fleet Incurred Substantial Losses
Included in the ships sunk was the Makran, the country's most sizable ship which had been used as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Satellite images displayed thick smoke rising from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas naval base.
Analytical reports state that at least five vessels at the port were "damaged or eliminated". Photos of the southern end of the harbor reveal smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while two other vessels seem to be damaged, with one clearly on fire.
Over at Konarak, images display several damaged vessels, with expert review identifying strikes against six ships. Pictures from the start of the week also demonstrate that a number of buildings at the base have been leveled.
"For many years the Tehran government has harassed global maritime traffic," the head of US Central Command declared. "Now, there is not a single Iranian ship operational in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will continue."
A number of vessels reportedly sunk may have been concealed in aerial photos by cloud or smoke, or struck at sea, and have not been independently verified. Additional information stated that an Iranian vessel was foundering off the coast of Sri Lanka's waters, resulting in a search and rescue mission.
Missile Installations and Atomic Facilities Attacked
Eliminating Iran's rocket sites and the hindering of enrichment activities were declared as other goals of the military strikes. Satellite images also revealed damage at the southern Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz facilities, and at the Konarak air air base, where rocket warehouses and bunkers were struck.
At the Choqa Balk-e unmanned aircraft site to the west of the city of Kermanshah, extensive destruction was identified to storage buildings, underground facilities and unmanned aircraft systems.
Destruction was also seen at a radar site at the Zahedan military airport in eastern parts of the country, near the frontier with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Of particular note, the most recent series of strikes have apparently targeted installations at the Natanz complex – considered at the core of the country's atomic program. The UN's atomic energy body stated that the affected structures were used for access to the facility's below-ground enrichment facility and that "no release of radioactive material" was anticipated.
Wider Fallout and Analysis
Military analysts suggested that the attacks appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iran's naval capability to conduct conventional attacks using its largest vessels. Nevertheless, it was noted that Tehran still has the option to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, mini-submarines and its so-called "clandestine network" of oil ships.
The overall extent of the destruction caused to Iran's defense facilities is still uncertain, with attacks reportedly ongoing. Imagery also indicates extensive damage to the headquarters of the the IRGC in the capital Tehran.
A significant number of non-military structures also are reported to have been struck in the capital and across Iran after the hostilities escalated. Casualty figures from ground sources state that a high number of civilians may have been lost their lives in the bombardment.
Amid continuing hostilities, monitoring of satellite imagery will persist to document the changing scope of damage.