Satellite Pictures Indicate Iran's Navy and Nuclear Locations Struck by American and Israeli Strikes.

A wave of joint airstrikes has according to analysis sunk or crippled a minimum of eleven Iranian naval vessels since the weekend, new satellite images reveal, with missile bases and atomic facilities also sustaining hits.

Images of the southerly Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas facility, which overlooks the strategic Hormuz Strait and houses the main command of the Iranian navy, depict black smoke pouring from several warships on the start of the week.

Naval Assets Incurred Significant Damage

Included in the ships sunk was the IRINS Makran, Iran's most sizable ship which had functioned as a drone carrier. Orbital photos showed thick smoke emanating from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas base.

Analytical assessments indicate that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "damaged or eliminated". Imagery of the southern end of the harbor reveal smoke rising from the Makran, while additional vessels seem to be damaged, with one of them clearly on fire.

Over at the Konarak base, images reveal numerous stricken ships, with intelligence reports identifying impacts on six ships. Images from the start of the week also indicate that a number of facilities at the installation have been destroyed.

"For decades the Iran's leadership has harassed global maritime traffic," the head of US Central Command stated. "Now, there is no Iranian ship at sea in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman, and we will persist."

A number of vessels allegedly sunk may have been concealed in satellite images by cloud or smoke, or targeted offshore, and have not been independently verified. Additional information suggested that one Iranian ship was foundering near Sri Lanka's territorial waters, leading to a rescue operation.

Missile Installations and Atomic Locations Attacked

Eliminating Iran's rocket sites and the stopping enrichment activities were listed as other goals of the offensive. Aerial imagery also depicted damage at the southern Khorgu and northwestern Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak air base, where rocket warehouses and fortifications were hit.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e UAV facility west of Kermanshah, extensive damage was seen to warehouses, underground facilities and unmanned aircraft systems.

Damage was also noted at a surveillance station at the Zahedan military airport in eastern parts of the country, close to the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Perhaps most notably, the latest wave of attacks have reportedly focused on sites at the Natanz complex – widely believed to be at the core of Iran's nuclear programme. The UN's atomic energy body stated that the affected buildings were used for access to the site's underground nuclear plant and that "no release of radioactive material" was expected.

Broader Impact and Assessment

Military analysts stated that the attacks appeared to have "greatly reduced" the Iran's naval capability to carry out standard operations using its largest vessels. Nevertheless, it was emphasised that Iran retains the capacity to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of drones, midget subs and its so-called "clandestine network" of oil ships.

The full scope of the destruction caused to Iran's defense infrastructure remains unclear, with hostilities said to be ongoing. Photos also shows widespread damage to the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the city of Tehran.

A large number of non-military structures also appear to have been hit in the capital and across the country since the hostilities began. Toll estimates from inside Iran indicate that hundreds of non-combatants may have been killed in the bombardment.

As the situation develops, analysis of aerial photographs will carry on to assess the unfolding military landscape.