New satellite imagery shows an Iranian warship burning pierside following widespread US and Israeli airstrikes.
The imagery, collected Saturday by US spatial intelligence firm Vantor and obtained by Business Insider, shows some of the initial aftermath of the joint US and Israeli attack on Iran, a major combat operation against Tehran after the collapse of talks on nuclear weapons.
The Vantor images show a frigate burning at the Konarak naval base in southern Iran. A large billow of smoke can be seen rising from the wounded vessel.
In a close-up image, two other frigates are seen sitting nearby, appearing unscathed.
Trump said earlier in his video message announcing the US campaign, Operation Epic Fury, that the US military was “going to annihilate” the Iranian navy, as well as the country’s other military capabilities.
Trump said the goal was to ensure that Iran can “never” have a nuclear weapon. The president also urged Iranian citizens to “take control” in the aftermath of US operations.
“This will be, probably, your only chance for generations,” he said.
War analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank said on Saturday that there had been unconfirmed reports of strikes on Iranian naval assets.
“An Israeli OSINT [open source intelligence] account reported strikes on the IRGC Navy frigate Jamaran,” ISW said. “There are also unverified reports of strikes on the IRGC Navy Imam Ali Navy Base in Chabahar, Sistan and Balochistan Province.”
Other images collected by Vantor show drone dispersal activity at two nearby airbases in Konarak. After the initial attacks by the US and Israel, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes at US military bases around the region in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Iran has also launched multiple barrages at Israel, including missiles and drones, and said it was carrying out an “extensive drone offensive operation” against its longtime foe.
US strikes on Iran included a mix of weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, drones, and undisclosed standoff weapons designed for long-range strikes outside the reach of enemy air defenses.
In response to retaliatory attacks from Iran, various air defense weapons have been active, including the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, batteries.
Saturday’s strike is the second time in less than a year that the US has launched a strike campaign against Iran. In June 2025, US forces targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. In the weeks prior to the most recent attack, the US built up a massive force presence in and around the Middle East.
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