Aerial Imagery Reveal Iranian Navy and Atomic Sites Struck by Joint US and Israeli Military Action.

A wave of American and Israeli attacks has according to analysis destroyed or damaged at least 11 Iranian naval vessels since the weekend, recently obtained aerial photos demonstrate, with rocket sites and nuclear sites also coming under fire.

Photographs of the southern Konarak naval naval base and the Bandar Abbas installation, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz and is home to the main command of the Iran's naval force, show black smoke pouring from several warships on the start of the week.

Maritime Forces Sustained Major Damage

Among the targets eliminated was the IRINS Makran, the country's biggest warship which had served as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Satellite images displayed thick smoke emanating from the vessel which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas base.

Intelligence assessments state that no fewer than five vessels at the port were "damaged or eliminated". Photos of the southern part of the port depict plumes ascending from the Makran, while additional vessels seem to be damaged, with a single one visibly ablaze.

At Konarak, images display several damaged ships, with analysis identifying impacts on six ships. Photos taken on Monday also show that multiple facilities at the installation have been demolished.

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

A number of ships allegedly destroyed may have been hidden in satellite images by weather conditions or battle damage, or hit in open waters, and have yet to be fully confirmed. Other accounts indicated that a ship from Iran was going down near Sri Lanka's waters, resulting in a rescue operation.

Rocket Sites and Nuclear Facilities Attacked

Neutralizing Iran's rocket sites and the hindering of nuclear weapons development were listed as other goals of the offensive. Aerial imagery also revealed damage at the southern Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak air base, where weapons bunkers and fortifications were struck.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e drone unmanned aircraft site to the west of the city of Kermanshah, widespread destruction was observed to warehouses, underground facilities and UAV launching apparatus.

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

Significantly, the latest wave of attacks have reportedly targeted sites at Natanz – considered at the core of Iran's nuclear programme. The UN's atomic energy body commented that the affected buildings were used for access to the facility's below-ground nuclear plant and that "no nuclear fallout" was expected.

Wider Impact and Analysis

Military analysts suggested that the strikes appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval capacity to conduct conventional attacks using its largest warships. But, it was emphasised that Tehran retains the capacity to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, small submarines and its so-called "ghost fleet" of oil ships.

The total scale of the damage caused to Iranian military facilities is still uncertain, with strikes said to be continuing. Pictures also shows extensive destruction to the main offices of the the IRGC in the capital Tehran.

A large number of civilian buildings also appear to have been hit in the capital and across Iran since the conflict started. Toll estimates from ground sources suggest that a high number of non-combatants may have been fatally injured in the attacks.

With the conflict ongoing, monitoring of aerial photographs will continue to assess the evolving military landscape.