🔗 Share this article Orbital Imagery Depict Iranian Navy and Nuclear Facilities Struck by Joint US and Israeli Military Action. A wave of American and Israeli strikes has reportedly sunk or crippled no fewer than 11 Iranian naval vessels since Saturday, recently obtained orbital imagery reveal, with rocket sites and atomic facilities also being targeted. Pictures of the southern Konarak naval base and the Bandar Abbas installation, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz and houses the headquarters of the Iranian navy, show plumes of smoke rising from several ships on recent days. Naval Forces Incurred Major Losses Among the vessels destroyed was the Makran, Iran's biggest warship which had functioned as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Orbital photos showed dark plumes emanating from the ship which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas base. Intelligence assessments state that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "struck or destroyed". Imagery of the southern end of the harbor reveal smoke emanating from the Makran, while another pair of ships appear to be damaged, with a single one seen burning. At Konarak, photos reveal several harmed vessels, with intelligence reports identifying impacts on a half-dozen warships. Photos from the start of the week also show that multiple buildings at the base have been demolished. "For many years the Tehran government has threatened global maritime traffic," the head of US Central Command stated. "At present, there is not one vessel from Iran at sea in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Sea of Oman, and we will continue." Some ships reportedly sunk may have been concealed in aerial photos by weather conditions or battle damage, or targeted offshore, and have not been independently verified. Additional information stated that one Iranian ship was sinking near Sri Lanka's territorial waters, leading to a search and rescue mission. Rocket Sites and Nuclear Locations Hit Neutralizing Tehran's launch facilities and the hindering of nuclear weapons development were stated as additional aims of the air campaign. Aerial imagery also revealed impacts against the southerly Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak air air base, where weapons bunkers and bunkers were hit. Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone base west of Kermanshah, extensive destruction was identified to storage buildings, underground facilities and UAV launching apparatus. Destruction was also noted at a radar installation at the Zahedan airbase airbase in eastern parts of the country, close to the border with neighboring nations. Of particular note, the latest wave of strikes have apparently focused on facilities at the Natanz complex – considered at the heart of Iran's nuclear programme. An international watchdog commented that the affected buildings were used for access to the site's underground nuclear plant and that "no nuclear fallout" was anticipated. Broader Impact and Analysis Observers indicated that the strikes appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval capacity to conduct conventional attacks using its largest warships. Nevertheless, it was noted that Tehran maintains the ability to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, small submarines and its so-called "shadow fleet" of oil ships. The full extent of the damage caused to Iranian military facilities is still uncertain, with strikes said to be continuing. Photos also indicates widespread destruction to the command center of the the IRGC in the city of Tehran. Numerous of civilian buildings also appear to have been hit in the capital and throughout the country after the hostilities started. Casualty figures from inside Iran indicate that many hundreds of non-combatants may have been fatally injured in the bombardment. As the situation develops, monitoring of aerial photographs will carry on to document the unfolding scope of damage.