🔗 Share this article

A series of joint strikes has reportedly destroyed or damaged no fewer than 11 Iran's navy ships since Saturday, recently obtained satellite images show, with rocket sites and nuclear sites also being targeted.

Images of the southern Konarak naval naval base and the Bandar Abbas port installation, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz and contains the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, depict plumes of smoke rising from several vessels on Monday and Tuesday.

Maritime Forces Sustained Substantial Damage

Among the ships sunk was the Makran, the country's biggest warship which had served as a drone carrier. Orbital photos showed dark plumes emanating from the ship which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas base.

Analytical evaluations state that at least five ships at Bandar Abbas were "damaged or eliminated". Imagery of the southern part of the port show plumes ascending from the Makran, while additional vessels seem to be damaged, with one seen burning.

Over at the Konarak base, images display multiple harmed ships, with analysis pointing to strikes against six ships. Photos from the start of the week also indicate that several structures at the installation have been demolished.

"For decades the Iranian regime has disrupted commercial vessels," the head of US Central Command said. "Now, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Gulf of Oman, and we will continue."

Some ships allegedly sunk may have been obscured in satellite images by weather conditions or battle damage, or struck at sea, and have not been independently verified. Additional information stated that an Iranian vessel was going down off the coast of Sri Lanka's waters, resulting in a rescue operation.

Missile Sites and Atomic Locations Attacked

Neutralizing Iranian missile bases and the prevention of enrichment activities were declared as additional objectives of the military strikes. Aerial imagery also revealed damage at the southerly Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile missile bases, and at the Konarak base, where rocket warehouses and fortifications were targeted.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e UAV facility west of the city of Kermanshah, extensive damage was observed to sheds, underground facilities and unmanned aircraft systems.

Impact was also observed at a radar site at the Zahedan airbase in eastern Iran, close to the border with neighboring nations.

Of particular note, the most recent series of strikes have apparently targeted sites at the Natanz complex – widely believed to be at the heart of the country's nuclear programme. An international watchdog commented that the damaged structures were used for access to the facility's underground enrichment facility and that "no radiological consequence" was expected.

Wider Impact and Assessment

Military analysts stated that the strikes appeared to have "greatly reduced" the Iranian navy's capacity to sustain standard operations using its most significant warships. Nevertheless, it was stressed that Iran still has the ability to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of drones, small submarines and its so-called "clandestine network" of oil ships.

The total extent of the damage caused to Iranian military infrastructure remains unclear, with hostilities reportedly persisting. Photos also shows widespread destruction to the headquarters of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran.

Numerous of civilian buildings also appear to have been damaged in the capital and across the country after the fighting started. Casualty figures from local officials suggest that hundreds of civilians may have been fatally injured in the strikes.

Amid continuing hostilities, analysis of satellite imagery will continue to track the evolving battlefield picture.