Satellite Photographs Depict Iranian Navy and Atomic Sites Struck by US-Israeli Strikes.

A wave of US and Israeli airstrikes has allegedly destroyed or damaged at least 11 warships belonging to Iran starting Saturday, new satellite images reveal, with missile bases and nuclear sites also sustaining hits.

Pictures of the southerly Konarak naval naval base and the Bandar Abbas installation, which overlooks the strategic Hormuz Strait and is home to the main command of the Iran's naval force, reveal plumes of smoke rising from a number of warships on Monday and Tuesday.

Maritime Forces Incurred Substantial Damage

Among the ships sunk was the IRINS Makran, Iran's biggest warship which had functioned as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Aerial imagery showed black smoke pouring from the ship which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas naval base.

Intelligence evaluations suggest that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "hit or sunk". Imagery of the southern end of the port show plumes ascending from the IRINS Makran, while two other ships seem to be harmed, with one of them seen burning.

Over at Konarak, photos show several damaged ships, with expert review pointing to impacts on a half-dozen warships. Photos taken on the start of the week also indicate that a number of structures at the installation have been destroyed.

"For many years the Iran's leadership has harassed commercial vessels," a senior US military official stated. "At present, there is not a single Iranian vessel operational in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Gulf of Oman, and we will not stop."

Some ships allegedly destroyed may have been concealed in aerial photos by cloud or smoke, or hit in open waters, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Other accounts suggested that an Iranian vessel was going down off the coast of Sri Lanka's waters, resulting in a rescue operation.

Rocket Sites and Atomic Locations Attacked

The destruction of Iranian missile bases and the hindering of atomic bomb programs were declared as other aims of the military strikes. Satellite images also revealed damage at the southerly Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz facilities, and at the Konarak air base, where rocket warehouses and bunkers were targeted.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone drone base to the west of the city of Kermanshah, widespread damage was identified to storage buildings, underground facilities and unmanned aircraft systems.

Destruction was also seen at a radar installation at the Zahedan airbase in eastern Iran, near the frontier with neighboring nations.

Of particular note, the most recent series of strikes have apparently hit facilities at Natanz – considered at the heart of Iran's atomic program. The UN's atomic energy body stated that the affected buildings were used for access to the site's below-ground enrichment facility and that "no radiological consequence" was expected.

Wider Impact and Assessment

Military analysts suggested that the attacks appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval capability to carry out conventional attacks using its most significant vessels. However, it was emphasised that Iran maintains the ability 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 damage caused to Iranian military facilities has yet to be fully assessed, with hostilities reportedly continuing. Photos also shows considerable damage to the main offices of the Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the capital Tehran.

Numerous of civilian buildings also seem to have been struck in the capital city and across Iran after the hostilities escalated. Toll estimates from ground sources state that hundreds of civilians may have been lost their lives in the attacks.

With the conflict ongoing, analysis of satellite imagery will carry on to assess the evolving scope of damage.

Teresa Perry
Teresa Perry

A seasoned sports analyst and betting enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the gaming industry.