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A series of American and Israeli airstrikes has allegedly destroyed or damaged no fewer than eleven Iran's navy ships starting the weekend, new orbital imagery show, with missile bases and atomic facilities also coming under fire.

Photographs of the southern Konarak military port and the Bandar Abbas installation, which is located on the Strait of Hormuz and is home to the main command of the Iranian navy, depict black smoke pouring from several warships on Monday and Tuesday.

Naval Forces Sustained Significant Damage

Among the targets eliminated was the Makran, the country's largest naval vessel which had been used as a drone carrier. Aerial imagery displayed thick smoke rising from the ship which had been docked at the Bandar Abbas base.

Analytical assessments suggest that at least five vessels at the port were "struck or destroyed". Pictures of the southern part of the port depict smoke emanating from the IRINS Makran, while two other vessels seem to be harmed, with a single one seen burning.

At the Konarak base, images display multiple harmed ships, with intelligence reports identifying impacts on a half-dozen warships. Photos from Monday also indicate that multiple facilities at the installation have been demolished.

"For many years the Tehran government has threatened global maritime traffic," the head of US Central Command stated. "Now, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will continue."

A number of ships reportedly destroyed may have been hidden in satellite images by weather conditions or battle damage, or targeted offshore, and have not been conclusively proven. Other accounts indicated that an Iranian vessel was foundering off the coast of Sri Lankan waters, leading to a rescue operation.

Rocket Sites and Atomic Locations Targeted

Neutralizing Iran's rocket sites and the prevention of atomic bomb programs were stated as additional aims of the air campaign. Satellite images also showed impacts against the southerly Khorgu base and north-western Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak air base, where missile storage facilities and fortifications were struck.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e UAV facility to the west of the city of Kermanshah, significant destruction was observed to sheds, underground facilities and unmanned aircraft systems.

Destruction was also observed at a radar site at the Zahedan airbase in eastern Iran, near the frontier with neighboring nations.

Significantly, the most recent series of attacks have reportedly focused on sites at the Natanz complex – widely believed to be at the core of Iran's nuclear programme. A global monitoring agency commented that the affected structures were used for access to the facility's underground nuclear plant and that "no radiological consequence" was anticipated.

Wider Consequences and Assessment

Defense experts stated that the offensive appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval ability to conduct traditional warfare using its largest warships. But, it was stressed that Tehran retains the capacity to launch asymmetric warfare at sea through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, midget subs and its so-called "ghost fleet" of tankers.

The total extent of the destruction caused to Iran's defense facilities remains unclear, with attacks reportedly persisting. Imagery also reveals considerable damage to the headquarters of the Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the city of Tehran.

A large number of civilian buildings also seem to have been damaged in the capital and throughout the country since the conflict escalated. Casualty figures from local officials state that a high number of civilians may have been fatally injured in the attacks.

Amid continuing hostilities, analysis of aerial photographs will persist to assess the evolving military landscape.