Satellite Images Reveal Iran Before and After Airstrikes

Satellite imagery captured over the past few days by Vantor shows the aftermath of a series of U.S.-Israeli strikes on multiple sites within Iran. The assault, codenamed Operation Epic Fury, has so far targeted more than 1,250 targets in the first two days according to a fact sheet released by U.S. Central Command. These strikes are intended to dismantle what they describe as “the Iranian regime’s security apparatus,” prioritizing locations posing an imminent threat.

The imagery reveals significant damage inflicted upon various sites including the Choqa Balk-e drone facility, the compound where former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lived, and a radar system at Zahedan airbase. Notably, Khamenei was killed alongside about 40 other senior Iranian officials in one of the early strikes. This intelligence had been gathered by the CIA for months through monitoring of Khamenei’s movements.

This confirmed information later passed to Israeli counterparts. The Natanz nuclear complex, a key site previously targeted by separate Israeli and U.S. airstrikes back in June, is prominently featured in these images. While President Trump has claimed that these strikes “obliterated” the three sites, Iran maintains that its technological capabilities remain intact. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Fox News: “Yes, you destroyed the facilities, the machines, but the technology cannot be bombed and neither can the determination.”

Satellite imagery from late January demonstrated efforts by Iran to salvage materials from damaged buildings at Natanz and other sites—suggesting a possible attempt at reconstruction. Another target highlighted in these images is the Choqa Balk-e drone facility located in western Iran. Known for utilizing Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, which are one-way with a built-in warhead that detonates upon impact.

Meanwhile, Zahedan airbase, situated in eastern Iran near its borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, also bore the brunt of this destructive assault. These strikes come as part of a broader effort by both nations to curb what they perceive as threats emanating from Iran’s nuclear and security apparatus.

As Iranian leaders continue to assess these impacts, international reactions remain mixed—posing questions about long-term implications for regional stability in the face of ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions.