Orbital Images Reveal Iranian Naval Forces and Nuclear Facilities Struck by Joint US and Israeli Military Action.

Multiple US and Israeli strikes has allegedly destroyed or damaged a minimum of 11 Iranian naval vessels since Saturday, recently obtained satellite images show, with rocket sites and nuclear sites also coming under fire.

Pictures of the southerly Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas facility, which sits on the strategic Hormuz Strait and houses the headquarters of the Iran's naval force, show smoke billowing from a number of warships on recent days.

Maritime Assets Sustained Substantial Damage

Among the vessels destroyed was the IRINS Makran, Iran's biggest warship which had functioned as a unmanned aerial vehicle platform. Orbital photos indicated black smoke pouring from the vessel which had been stationed at the Bandar Abbas naval base.

Analytical reports state that at least a quintet of warships at Bandar Abbas were "hit or sunk". Imagery of the southern part of the port depict smoke rising from the IRINS Makran, while two other ships seem to be damaged, with one seen burning.

Over at Konarak, photos show multiple stricken ships, with expert review pointing to damage to six ships. Pictures from the start of the week also demonstrate that multiple structures at the base have been destroyed.

"For decades the Tehran government has threatened commercial vessels," an American commander said. "Today, there is not a single Iranian vessel underway in the Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait or Gulf of Oman, and we will not stop."

Some vessels reportedly destroyed may have been concealed in aerial photos by cloud or smoke, or hit in open waters, and have not been independently verified. Other accounts suggested that an Iranian vessel was foundering off the coast of Sri Lankan waters, prompting a rescue operation.

Rocket Sites and Nuclear Facilities Attacked

The destruction of Iranian missile bases and the stopping nuclear weapons development were stated as additional goals of the offensive. Aerial imagery also showed strikes on the southern Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile missile bases, and at the Konarak base, where missile storage facilities and fortifications were hit.

At the Choqa Balk-e drone drone base to the west of Kermanshah, significant damage was seen to sheds, bunkers and drone launch equipment.

Impact was also noted at a radar installation at the Zahedan airbase in eastern Iran, close to the frontier with neighboring nations.

Significantly, the most recent series of attacks have reportedly focused on facilities at Natanz – considered at the center of Iran's nuclear programme. An international watchdog stated that the damaged structures were used for access to the facility's below-ground nuclear plant and that "no nuclear fallout" was expected.

Wider Impact and Assessment

Defense experts suggested that the attacks appeared to have "significantly degraded" the Iranian navy's capability to conduct traditional warfare using its largest vessels. But, it was noted that Tehran maintains the option to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of drones, mini-submarines and its so-called "clandestine network" of tankers.

The total scope of the damage caused to Iranian military facilities remains unclear, with hostilities reportedly continuing. Imagery also indicates extensive damage to the main offices of the Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the capital Tehran.

A significant number of civilian buildings also appear to have been struck in the capital city and throughout the country after the fighting began. Casualty figures from inside Iran state that a high number of non-combatants may have been killed in the bombardment.

Amid continuing hostilities, monitoring of aerial photographs will carry on to assess the unfolding military landscape.