politics
Satellite images show damage at Iranian military and nuclear sites
More than 250,000 previously restricted satellite images from nearly 800 locations in Iran were released after U.S. government restrictions ended. The images reveal damage at sites including ammunition storage areas, ballistic missile infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and naval bases.
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More than 250,000 previously restricted high-resolution satellite images from nearly 800 locations in Iran were released after U.S. government restrictions ended. Planet Labs restored access to the images. BBC Verify examined imagery from Esfahan and Bushehr captured since restrictions began on 9 March.
Images show damage or destruction at multiple sites around the coastal city of Bushehr. Military buildings, government facilities, aircraft hangars, ammunition storage areas, dockyards, piers, and missile launch sites sustained visible damage. Many buildings have caved-in roofs and some appear completely flattened.
Destroyed aircraft and sunken ships are visible in the images. Craters appear on multiple runways, including at Bushehr International Airport, with some runways since repaired.
Images of Esfahan province show damage at military bases near two nuclear facilities in the city of Esfahan and at Natanz. More than 60 structures were severely damaged or destroyed at one military base south of the city. Another dozen structures were hit at a base near the town of Baharestan.
Buildings identified as ammunition storage areas at the Shekari 8 airbase were also damaged. Planet Labs said a delay remains in place for imagery over other parts of the Middle East. News organizations have turned to non-U.S. based imagery providers while restrictions continue.
