Tel Aviv: Israeli strikes have damaged structures at two missile sites as well as an airport runway, satellite images have revealed. As tensions escalate between Iran and Israel, these images offer crucial insights into the unfolding situation.
According to BBC, the latest satellite imagery released by Maxar has shown significant damage to a missile base operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) near the western province of Kermanshah. Jeremy Binnie, a Middle East specialist at Janes defence intelligence, noted that the targets included missile storage bunkers, launchers, and possibly barracks, suggesting an attempt to hinder personnel from operating missile launchers for retaliatory actions.
Fabian Hinz, a military analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), highlighted the historical significance of the Kermanshah base, established during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. It has been a key site for various Iranian missile operations, including strikes against armed groups and Israel. Additionally, satellite images from Planet Labs revealed considerable damage at the international airport in Tabriz, capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
Images taken on 14 June displayed a large blackened area on the main runway. Stu Ray, a senior analyst at McKenzie Intelligence Services, described this as a typical tactic to prevent runway use, likely executed with a precision munition. The taxiways also suffered similar damage, with military aircraft shelters located nearby. The operational status of the airport remains unclear as the Flightradar24 tracking website has shown no commercial flights since the Israeli attacks began.
Further imagery from the EU’s Sentinel-2 satellites on 15 June depicted large plumes of smoke from two energy facilities in Tehran. Shahr Rey, one of the country’s largest refineries, and the Shahran oil and gas depot, a crucial fuel distribution hub, both showed signs of structural damage. Iranian officials have acknowledged these strikes but downplayed their impact. The oil ministry’s news agency, Shana, reported that the situation was “under control,” with containers at Shahran empty when struck and the refinery still operational.