Israel’s retaliatory strike on Iran damaged at least two secret military bases that allegedly helped produce the missiles Tehran used in its attacks on the Jewish state earlier this year, according to satellite photos.
The Planet Labs pictures show extensive damage to both the Parchin and Khojir military bases, located southeast of Tehran, according to an Associated Press analysis.
The Parchin base, which was once linked to Iran’s nuclear weapons program, suffered significantly more damage, with an entire building demolished by the Israeli attack early Saturday.
The Albright’s Institute for Science and International Security identified the Parchin building that was destroyed as the “Taleghan 2” facility, where Iran once allegedly conducted explosives tests on uranium cores.
It remains unclear if any equipment tied to the nuclear program remained at Parchin after the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) move to access the site in 2011.
The satellite photos also show clear damage to at least two buildings at the Khojir base, where experts have warned of a hidden underground tunnel facility that houses some of Iran’s missile production sites.
Burned fields were also spotted near the Tange Bijar natural gas production site in Ilam, one of the three provinces Iran confirmed were hit in the attack, but it was unclear if the damage was a result of the Israeli strike.
The Jewish state said it avoided attacking any of Iran’s oil and nuclear facilities following warnings from the US and Gulf nations that such an attack would likely trigger all-out war in the Middle East.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, who leads the IAEA, confirmed that “Iran’s nuclear facilities have not been impacted” by Friday’s strike.
Along with Parchin and Khojir, Israeli officials said they hit several of the warehouses and buildings Iran had used to build its ballistic missile arsenal, which it employed to attack Israel earlier this month and in April.
The Israeli attack appeared to be centered around Ilam, as well as the Khuzestan and Tehran provinces, Tehran said.
Iranian officials said the attack killed four soldiers, as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that his nation would retaliate against Israel.
With Post wires
