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A series of joint airstrikes has reportedly destroyed or damaged at least eleven Iranian naval vessels starting the weekend, recently obtained orbital imagery demonstrate, with missile bases and nuclear sites also coming under fire.

Photographs of the southerly Konarak naval base and the Bandar Abbas port installation, which is located on the Strait of Hormuz and is home to the main command of the Iranian navy, depict plumes of smoke rising from a number of warships on recent days.

Naval Forces Sustained Substantial Losses

Among the vessels destroyed was the IRINS Makran, the country's largest naval vessel which had been used as a drone carrier. Orbital photos displayed dark plumes rising from the vessel which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas base.

Intelligence evaluations state that at least five vessels at Bandar Abbas were "struck or destroyed". Photos of the southern part of the port show smoke emanating from the Makran, while two other vessels seem to be damaged, with one clearly on fire.

At Konarak, photos display numerous harmed ships, with expert review identifying strikes against a half-dozen warships. Photos taken on the start of the week also indicate that multiple structures at the installation have been leveled.

"For a long time the Iran's leadership has harassed international shipping," an American commander said. "At present, there is not a single Iranian ship at sea in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman, and we will not stop."

A number of ships reportedly destroyed may have been hidden in aerial photos by cloud or smoke, or struck at sea, and have not been independently verified. Other accounts indicated that an Iranian vessel was sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka's waters, prompting a search and rescue mission.

Rocket Installations and Atomic Facilities Hit

The destruction of Tehran's launch facilities and the stopping nuclear weapons development were stated as further goals of the military strikes. Aerial imagery also depicted damage at the southerly Khorgu and north-western Tabriz missile bases, and at the Konarak air base, where missile storage facilities and bunkers were targeted.

At the Choqa Balk-e drone base to the west of the city of Kermanshah, widespread destruction was observed to sheds, underground facilities and UAV launching apparatus.

Destruction was also noted at a surveillance station at the Zahedan airbase in eastern parts of the country, close to the frontier with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Of particular note, the new round of attacks have apparently targeted facilities at the Natanz complex – considered at the center of the country's nuclear programme. The UN's atomic energy body said that the affected structures were used for access to the site's underground enrichment facility and that "no release of radioactive material" was anticipated.

Broader Impact and Assessment

Observers stated that the attacks appeared to have "greatly reduced" the Iran's naval capacity to conduct conventional attacks using its largest warships. However, it was noted that Tehran still has the capacity to launch irregular strikes at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, midget subs and its so-called "clandestine network" of tankers.

The overall scope of the damage caused to Iranian military facilities remains unclear, with hostilities reportedly persisting. Pictures also shows widespread destruction to the main offices of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the capital Tehran.

A large number of public facilities also are reported to have been struck in the capital city and across Iran since the fighting started. Toll estimates from ground sources state that many hundreds of civilians may have been lost their lives in the attacks.

Amid continuing hostilities, review of satellite imagery will persist to document the evolving scope of damage.