🔗 Share this article

A wave of US and Israeli airstrikes has allegedly destroyed or damaged at least 11 warships belonging to Iran since the weekend, recently obtained satellite images show, with launch facilities and nuclear sites also being targeted.

Pictures of the southerly Konarak naval military port and the Bandar Abbas port facility, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz and houses the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, reveal plumes of smoke rising from several warships on recent days.

Maritime Forces Sustained Major Damage

Included in the targets eliminated was the IRINS Makran, Iran's largest naval vessel which had functioned as a drone carrier. Orbital photos showed thick smoke emanating from the ship which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas naval base.

Intelligence evaluations state that no fewer than five vessels at the port were "hit or sunk". Pictures of the south end of the harbor depict plumes ascending from the Makran, while two other vessels are visibly harmed, with one of them seen burning.

At the Konarak base, photos show several stricken vessels, with intelligence reports pointing to impacts on six vessels. Photos from the start of the week also demonstrate that several buildings at the installation have been leveled.

"For many years the Tehran government has disrupted global maritime traffic," an American commander declared. "Today, there is not a single Iranian ship operational in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman, and we will persist."

Some vessels allegedly sunk may have been concealed in satellite images by weather conditions or battle damage, or struck at sea, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Separate reports indicated that one Iranian ship was sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka's territorial waters, resulting in a rescue operation.

Rocket Installations and Nuclear Facilities Attacked

Eliminating Iranian missile bases and the hindering of enrichment activities were listed as other aims of the offensive. Satellite images also showed strikes on the southern Khorgu and north-western Tabriz facilities, and at the Konarak air air base, where missile storage facilities and bunkers were struck.

At the Choqa Balk-e drone UAV facility west of Kermanshah, significant damage was observed to sheds, bunkers and unmanned aircraft systems.

Damage was also seen at a radar site at the Zahedan airbase military airport in eastern Iran, close to the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Of particular note, the most recent series of attacks have reportedly focused on sites at the Natanz complex – considered at the core of Iran's atomic program. An international watchdog stated that the damaged structures were used for access to the facility's below-ground enrichment facility and that "no radiological consequence" was expected.

Broader Impact and Analysis

Military analysts suggested that the offensive appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iranian navy's capacity to sustain traditional warfare using its biggest vessels. But, it was stressed that Tehran still has the option to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of drones, small submarines and its so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers.

The total scope of the destruction caused to Iranian military infrastructure has yet to be fully assessed, with hostilities reportedly persisting. Imagery also reveals widespread damage to the main offices of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran.

A large number of civilian buildings also appear to have been damaged in the capital and throughout the country since the conflict started. Casualty figures from local officials suggest that a high number of non-combatants may have been lost their lives in the attacks.

Amid continuing hostilities, analysis of satellite imagery will continue to document the unfolding military landscape.