Satellite Photographs Show Iran's Navy and Atomic Sites Hit by US-Israeli Attacks.

Multiple US and Israeli strikes has according to analysis sunk or crippled a minimum of eleven Iranian naval vessels starting Saturday, new aerial photos show, with missile bases and atomic facilities also being targeted.

Pictures of the southerly Konarak naval naval base and the Bandar Abbas installation, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and houses the main command of the Iranian navy, reveal plumes of smoke rising from several vessels on recent days.

Maritime Forces Incurred Substantial Losses

Among the targets eliminated was the IRINS Makran, the country's largest naval vessel which had served as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Orbital photos indicated dark plumes pouring from the ship which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas naval base.

Analytical reports indicate that at least a quintet of warships at Bandar Abbas were "hit or sunk". Imagery of the south end of the harbor depict smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while additional ships seem to be impacted, with one of them seen burning.

Over at Konarak, images display multiple damaged vessels, with expert review pointing to impacts on six ships. Pictures taken on Monday also show that multiple structures at the base have been demolished.

"For a long time the Iranian regime has harassed commercial vessels," the head of US Central Command declared. "Now, there is not one Iranian vessel underway in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Sea of Oman, and we will continue."

A number of ships reportedly sunk may have been obscured in satellite images by weather conditions or battle damage, or struck at sea, and have not been independently verified. Other accounts suggested that one Iranian ship was sinking off the coast of Sri Lankan waters, prompting a search and rescue mission.

Rocket Sites and Nuclear Facilities Hit

The destruction of Iran's rocket sites and the stopping nuclear weapons development were declared as further goals of the offensive. Aerial imagery also showed damage at the southern Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak base, where missile storage facilities and fortifications were targeted.

At the Choqa Balk-e drone base west of the city of Kermanshah, extensive damage was observed to warehouses, bunkers and UAV launching apparatus.

Damage was also seen at a surveillance station at the Zahedan airbase airbase in eastern Iran, close to the frontier with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Of particular note, the most recent series of strikes have apparently hit installations at Natanz – widely believed to be at the center of Iran's enrichment efforts. A global monitoring agency commented that the affected buildings were used for access to the facility's underground enrichment facility and that "no release of radioactive material" was expected.

Wider Fallout and Analysis

Observers indicated that the attacks appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iranian navy's capacity to sustain conventional attacks using its biggest vessels. But, it was noted that Tehran still has the option to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of drones, midget subs and its so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers.

The total scope of the damage caused to Iranian military infrastructure has yet to be fully assessed, with attacks said to be persisting. Imagery also indicates extensive destruction to the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the capital Tehran.

A large number of civilian buildings also seem to have been damaged in the capital city and across the country since the conflict started. Toll estimates from local officials suggest that hundreds of civilians may have been killed in the bombardment.

Amid continuing hostilities, review of satellite imagery will carry on to document the unfolding military landscape.

Chelsea Ortega
Chelsea Ortega

Award-winning film critic with over a decade of experience covering international cinema and festival circuits.