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A series of US and Israeli attacks has reportedly sunk or crippled a minimum of eleven Iran's navy ships starting Saturday, recently obtained aerial photos demonstrate, with launch facilities and atomic facilities also coming under fire.

Images of the southern Konarak naval base and the Bandar Abbas facility, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and contains the main command of the Iranian navy, depict black smoke pouring from several vessels on the start of the week.

Maritime Assets Incurred Substantial Damage

Among the vessels destroyed was the IRINS Makran, Iran's largest naval vessel which had functioned as a drone carrier. Satellite images indicated dark plumes emanating from the vessel which had been moored at the Bandar Abbas base.

Analytical assessments indicate that at least five vessels at the port were "struck or destroyed". Pictures of the southern end of the harbor reveal smoke emanating from the IRINS Makran, while another pair of ships seem to be damaged, with a single one visibly ablaze.

Over at the Konarak base, images show multiple stricken ships, with analysis identifying strikes against six vessels. Pictures from Monday also indicate that several buildings at the base have been destroyed.

"For decades the Tehran government has threatened global maritime traffic," the head of US Central Command declared. "Now, there is no Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Sea of Oman, and we will persist."

A number of vessels allegedly destroyed may have been hidden in aerial photos by haze or plumes, or targeted offshore, and have not been conclusively proven. Other accounts stated that an Iranian vessel was going down near Sri Lanka's waters, resulting in a search and rescue mission.

Rocket Sites and Nuclear Locations Attacked

Neutralizing Tehran's launch facilities and the hindering of enrichment activities were declared as further objectives of the air campaign. Satellite images also showed damage at the southerly Khorgu base and northwestern Tabriz missile facilities, and at the Konarak base, where rocket warehouses and fortifications were struck.

Over at the Choqa Balk-e UAV facility to the west of Kermanshah, widespread damage was identified to storage buildings, bunkers and unmanned aircraft systems.

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

Perhaps most notably, the new round of attacks have reportedly targeted installations at Natanz – widely believed to be at the core of the country's nuclear programme. An international watchdog stated that the damaged buildings were used for entry to the facility's underground enrichment facility and that "no nuclear fallout" was anticipated.

Wider Impact and Analysis

Defense experts stated that the attacks appeared to have "largely neutralized" the Iran's naval ability to carry out standard operations using its largest warships. However, it was emphasised that Tehran still has the capacity to launch unconventional attacks at sea through the use of drones, midget subs and its so-called "ghost fleet" of oil ships.

The full extent of the damage caused to Iran's defense infrastructure is still uncertain, with strikes said to be ongoing. Photos also shows widespread destruction to the command center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the city of Tehran.

A significant number of civilian buildings also are reported to have been struck in the capital city and across the country since the hostilities escalated. Reports of deaths from local officials state that many hundreds of civilians may have been fatally injured in the strikes.

With the conflict ongoing, review of satellite imagery will continue to assess the changing battlefield picture.