🔗 Share this article

Multiple American and Israeli attacks has reportedly destroyed or damaged at least 11 Iranian naval vessels starting Saturday, freshly analyzed aerial photos reveal, with missile bases and atomic facilities also sustaining hits.

Pictures of the southern Konarak naval military port and the Bandar Abbas installation, which is located on the Strait of Hormuz and is home to the headquarters of the Iranian navy, depict black smoke pouring from a number of vessels on the start of the week.

Maritime Assets Sustained Major Damage

Included in the vessels destroyed was the IRINS Makran, the country's biggest warship which had served as a drone carrier. Aerial imagery showed dark plumes pouring from the ship which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas base.

Intelligence assessments indicate that no fewer than five ships at the port were "damaged or eliminated". Pictures of the southern part of the harbor show smoke rising from the Makran, while two other vessels appear to be harmed, with a single one seen burning.

Over at the Konarak base, photos reveal numerous stricken ships, with expert review identifying damage to six vessels. Images from Monday also demonstrate that multiple facilities at the installation have been leveled.

"For decades the Iranian regime has disrupted global maritime traffic," a senior US military official declared. "At present, there is not one vessel from Iran underway in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will persist."

A number of vessels allegedly sunk may have been obscured in aerial photos by cloud or smoke, or struck at sea, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Separate reports stated that an Iranian vessel was sinking off the coast of Sri Lankan territorial waters, resulting in a search and rescue mission.

Missile Installations and Atomic Locations Attacked

The destruction of Iranian missile bases and the hindering of enrichment activities were declared as additional aims of the offensive. Satellite images also depicted strikes on the southerly Khorgu and northwestern Tabriz facilities, and at the Konarak base, where missile storage facilities and bunkers were targeted.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e unmanned aircraft site to the west of Kermanshah, widespread damage was identified to storage buildings, underground facilities and UAV launching apparatus.

Destruction was also seen at a radar installation at the Zahedan airbase airbase in eastern Iran, near the frontier with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Of particular note, the most recent series of attacks have reportedly hit facilities at Natanz – widely believed to be at the core of the country's enrichment efforts. The UN's atomic energy body stated that the affected buildings were used for entry to the facility's underground enrichment facility and that "no radiological consequence" was likely.

Wider Impact and Analysis

Observers indicated that the strikes appeared to have "greatly reduced" the Iranian navy's capability to sustain conventional attacks using its largest vessels. Nevertheless, it was noted that Iran still has the option to launch asymmetric warfare at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, small submarines and its so-called "clandestine network" of tankers.

The overall scale of the damage caused to Iran's defense infrastructure remains unclear, with hostilities said to be ongoing. Pictures also shows extensive damage to the headquarters of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran.

Numerous of non-military structures also seem to have been struck in the capital and throughout Iran after the fighting began. Reports of deaths from local officials state that a high number of civilians may have been fatally injured in the strikes.

As the situation develops, monitoring of satellite imagery will continue to assess the evolving scope of damage.