Satellite images released on Monday show burning fires and huge plumes of black smoke rising from Iran’s main naval headquarters in Bandar Abbas, with at least one ship on fire after an attack.
The images, of Planet Labswere released within days after the US and Israel launched targeted strikes on Iran, and ahead of President Donald Trump’s statement that he would not rule out sending US troops to Iran if “necessary” during Operation Epic Fury.
The escalation comes as commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has essentially come to a standstill, the maritime intelligence agency said. Windward AI.
Bandar Abbas fires fury at Iran’s main naval headquarters (PLANET LABV)
According to the Times of IsraelThe commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) also said the Strait of Hormuz was closed on Monday, with Iran claiming it would set fire to any ship that tried to pass through.
Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province, occupies a key position along the Strait of Hormuz and its port is an important base serving as the headquarters of the Iranian Navy.
“As of 10:56 GMT on 2 March 2026, Bandar Abbas Port is experiencing multiple active fires, including one on board a moored vessel, while maintaining a significant combined military and commercial presence at port facilities,” Windward AI reported.
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“There are currently three separate fires reported in the area. Two are at port infrastructure facilities and one involves a vessel currently at a berth.”
Seventeen military ships and five commercial vessels remained docked despite the fires, the company said, noting that the continued military concentration indicates “an increased defensive posture rather than evacuation.”
Windward warned that active fires in Iran’s main naval and commercial port introduce “additional operational uncertainty” and increase the risk of secondary maritime disruption in the Gulf.
Video footage also shared by Iran International appeared to indicate an attack targeting Iranian naval air facilities in Bandar Abbas.
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Naval units from Iran and Russia simulate the rescue of a hijacked ship during joint exercises at the port of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan, Iran, on February 19, 2026. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Satellite images analyzed by BBC Verify identified a damaged ship about 230 meters (750 feet) long – consistent, it said, with a Makran-class forward base ship operated by the Iranian Navy.
The Makran, a converted tanker measuring approximately 228 metres, is also a mobile maritime base and helicopter carrier capable of deploying up to five helicopters and fast attack boats.
The attack on Iran’s naval headquarters came on the third day of open conflict, with the US Central Command saying it had sunk 11 Iranian ships in the Gulf of Oman.
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“Two days ago the Iranian regime had eleven ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,” CENTCOM said on X.
Trump has said that “destroying” Iran’s naval forces is a core objective of Operation Epic Fury, and that the US has so far destroyed nine Iranian naval vessels.
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