What satellite images reveal about war in Iran

Satellite images have revealed the scale of damage at Iranian military sites following US and Israeli strikes, but civilian infrastructure has also been hit, including schools and hospitals.

There has been an internet blackout since the start of the war on 28 February.

Satellite imagery has become one of the few ways to find out what is happening on the ground.

Zoom in to explore strike locations in satellite maps

Missile bases

The US and Israel are targeting Iran's missile bases to reduce the regime's ability to launch ballistic missiles.

A base in the northwest of Isfahan, located near the 'Ahmad Kazemi barracks', named after IRGC general Ahmad Kazemi, was targeted.

Images from 1 March show initial damage to a building at the site and then on 3 March show the same building flattened.

The building on the left-hand side was previously targeted in June by Israel and has been targeted again.

It's one of several missile bases that have been targeted. Another close to Kermanshah in northwest Iran was also hit.

It's one of Iran's extensive underground "missile cities", which are deep tunnel complexes built into mountains to house and shield large parts of the country's missile arsenal from detection and attack.

In imagery from 4 March provided by Planet Labs, Sky News has identified at least 10 buildings that have been destroyed. Alongside the buildings, there are craters left from strikes at the front of tunnel entrances. This tactic may be being used to collapse the tunnels.

Iran's missile capabilities are a threat to the US and Israel. They produce multiple different missile types. The longest-range missile, the Sajjil, has a maximum range of up to 2,000km (1,242 miles). That's far enough to hit Moscow or Athens - making any missile base a key target.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on 4 March that the number of Iran's missile launches has dropped 86% in four days.

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said that hundreds of air defence sites, ballistic missiles and drones had been destroyed by US strikes.

Naval ports

Ports have also been targeted by the US and Israel. They are being targeted as this is where Iran's navy operates from, launching missiles and attacks.

Imagery from satellite provider Vantor and European Space Imaging show Konarak naval port in southern Iran was badly damaged.

Satellite images from 4 March show two destroyed buildings at the port and a sunken Iranian ship.

The head of US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, claimed that 17 Iranian vessels, including its "most operational" submarine, have been destroyed.

The naval base is significant because it sits very close to the Strait of Hormuz, a key commercial shipping route being controlled by Iran. The base is used by Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and is said to launch patrols and exercises in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean, staging missile and naval training operations.

Konarak also supports the port of Chabahar, one of Iran's only deep-water ports with direct access to the Indian Ocean.

Another port targeted was the military harbour at Bandar Abbas, which is the main headquarters of the Iranian navy, and provides access to the Strait of Hormuz.

The imagery shows the Iranian vessel, IRIS Makran, with a plume of smoke after a strike on 2 March.

Although unclear how much damage the vessel sustained, the ship is Iran's largest naval vessel and serves as a floating base. If out of operation, this will be a blow to the naval capabilities of the regime.

In more recent imagery from 4 March, it appears a building can be seen with major damage to the roof.

Nuclear facilities

Nuclear facilities have been targeted as the West believes Iran is building a nuclear weapon.

One of the locations targeted was Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant in western Iran.

Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant is Iran's primary uranium-enrichment plant that is known to be operating after US and Israeli strikes in June 2025. According to Rafael Grossi, of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the centrifuges were "severely damaged if not destroyed altogether after this strike".

Additional strikes appear to have taken place on 2 March.

Imagery from 3 March shows three buildings destroyed at the site.

The IAEA confirmed damage to the entrance on the site on 3 March.

The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) confirmed the buildings were damaged at personnel and vehicle entrances.

The dispute over Iran's nuclear programme is ongoing. The regime in Tehran has long insisted it has no intention of making a nuclear weapon.

Civilian infrastructure

Civilian infrastructure has been hit in the airstrikes. Some of the sites are near Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities, including police stations.

Iranian officials said more than 150 people were killed when a girls' school was hit in the city of Minab on 28 February.

The school was located near an IRGC base.

Imagery from 4 March appears to show six locations where missiles or shrapnel likely fell on the school.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in an interview that "the United States would not deliberately target a school. Our objectives are missiles".

Israel also said it had not found any connection to their operations.

More satellite imagery shows Gandhi Hospital in Tehran.

Images from 1 March and 4 March show a television tower directly next to the hospital in ruins. Videos verified by Sky News show it wasn't just the television tower affected; the hospital was also hit.

The Data x Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

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