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Satellite images reveal destruction of Iranian naval fleet
At least 11 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed or damaged since Saturday in a series of US and Israeli airstrikes, according to new satellite imagery analyzed by BBC Verify. The attacks targeted key naval bases along the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, significantly degrading Iran's maritime capabilities.
Key vessels lost in strikes
The IRINS Makran, Iran's largest naval ship and a drone carrier, was among the vessels confirmed destroyed. Satellite images captured black smoke billowing from the Makran while docked at the Bandar Abbas base, the headquarters of Iran's navy. Maritime security firm Vanguard reported that the IRIS Bayandor, IRIS Naghdi, and IRIS Jamaran were also lost, though BBC Verify could not independently confirm the sinking of the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, a state-of-the-art drone carrier launched last year.
Intelligence analysts at MAIAR identified damage to six vessels at the Konarak naval base in southern Iran, with multiple ships visibly damaged or ablaze. US Central Command (Centcom) claimed the destruction of 17 Iranian vessels, including its "most operational" submarine, asserting that no Iranian ships remain active in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman.
Rescue operation underway after sinking near Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan officials reported on Wednesday that an Iranian ship was sinking near its waters, prompting a rescue operation for 140 missing crew members. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed that a US submarine had struck an Iranian vessel with a torpedo in the Indian Ocean.
Iran's conventional naval power suppressed, but unconventional threats remain
Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett, former head of the Irish military, told BBC Verify that the strikes had "largely neutralized or at least suppressed" Iran's ability to conduct conventional naval attacks. However, he warned that Iran retains the capacity for asymmetric warfare, including drone strikes, mini-submarines, and a "shadow fleet" of tankers with obscured ownership. Analysts at MAIAR noted that Iran could pivot to smaller, fast-attack vessels armed with anti-ship missiles in the coming days.
Mellett also highlighted the risk of Iran disrupting commercial shipping, either by planting mines in the Strait of Hormuz or launching drone attacks on tankers and ports.
Missile bases and nuclear sites targeted
President Donald Trump identified the destruction of Iranian missile bases and the prevention of nuclear weapons development as primary objectives of the US air campaign. Centcom reported that hundreds of air defense sites, ballistic missiles, and drones had been destroyed. Satellite imagery revealed damage at the Khorgu and Tabriz missile bases, as well as the Konarak air base, where missile storage facilities and bunkers were hit.
The Choqa Balk-e drone base west of Kermanshah sustained extensive damage to storage buildings, bunkers, and drone launch equipment. A radar installation at the Zahedan airbase, near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, was also struck.
Facilities at Natanz, a site central to Iran's nuclear program, were targeted in the latest wave of strikes. While Iran denied US claims of "obliterating" nuclear sites following last summer's attacks, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that the damaged buildings were used for access to an underground enrichment facility and posed no radiological risk.
Strikes extend to Tehran's security infrastructure
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported a significant decrease in Iranian missile attacks against Israel and the UAE, suggesting the strikes had successfully degraded Iran's ballistic missile capabilities. Satellite images showed extensive damage to the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with intelligence firm Vantor documenting destruction to at least six structures on March 3. The National Defense University and Intelligence Ministry also sustained damage.
"Many strikes targeted Iran's internal security apparatus, seeking to degrade the regime's ability to control the population,"
Gen. Joseph Vettel, former Centcom head
Civilian casualties reported amid escalating conflict
Airstrikes have also hit civilian infrastructure across Iran since the conflict began on February 28. Iranian officials reported that at least 160 people, including children, were killed after a school in Minab, southern Iran, was struck. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) stated that 1,097 civilians have died since Saturday.
BBC Verify continues to monitor satellite imagery as the situation develops.
