Bombed schools and hospitals, destroyed missile sites, power plants and refineries: airstrikes on Iran have devastated entire cities and already claimed the lives of more than a thousand people. How extensive is the devastation?
Israel and the United States began their attack on Iran more than a month ago. So far, the strikes on the Islamic Republic have mainly been against military targets. Missile factories, oil facilities and a large number of launchers have suffered extremely serious damage, media reports. Civilian infrastructure and historic buildings - such as the Golestan Palace - have also been hit. Hundreds of people, including many children, were killed in the attacks, and tens of thousands were injured.
What military facilities were damaged?
According to the “Washington Post”, four military factories and at least 29 missile launch sites were attacked in the first four weeks of the war. The damage mainly affected facilities for the production of solid and liquid fuels, which are of paramount importance for Iran's short- and medium-range missiles. The American think tank “Institute for the Study of War” documented attacks on more than 20 missile sites during the conflict.
Satellite images show dozens of destroyed buildings in the military complexes in Hojir, Parchin, Hakimieh and Shahroud, the “Washington Post” notes. The entrances to numerous tunnels used as missile storage depots have also been destroyed, and the arsenal has been buried. The US military recently shared its estimates that more than two-thirds of Iran's missile and drone production facilities have been hit. Most of the shipyards have also been attacked and damaged. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US military's Central Command for the Middle East, said that more than 10,000 Iranian military targets have been destroyed.
Which energy facilities were damaged
According to media reports, air strikes have also been carried out against key energy facilities in Iran. The South Pars gas field has been particularly hard hit. The world's largest gas field, located in the Persian Gulf, is jointly operated by Iran and Qatar. The region is crucial to Iran's energy sector, providing about 70 percent of the country's domestic gas supply.
How many civilian targets have been hit?
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, more than 100,000 civilian buildings have been damaged or destroyed. In the capital Tehran alone, nearly 40,000 residential and commercial buildings have been affected, the humanitarian organization said on its X profile. In addition, about 600 schools and almost 300 health centers have been attacked in the past four weeks, the Red Crescent said. These figures cannot be independently verified.
According to the Iranian Ministry of Health, more than 1,900 people have been killed since the start of the war, including more than 200 children, as reported by the German news agency DPA. Over 24,800 people have been injured during the same period. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported about 1,300 deaths in Iran as of mid-March.
Which historical monuments were damaged
Dozens of historical sites, including palaces, mosques and prehistoric cultural monuments, were damaged during the bombings, news agencies reported. Among them is the Golestan Palace in Tehran, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
Iranian authorities reported that damage was recorded to 131 historical monuments across the country. The worst-hit area was Tehran province with 61 sites, followed by the cultural center of Isfahan with 23 damaged landmarks, including the famous Chehel Sotun Palace.
Shortly after the war began, the Iranian government called for the protection of cultural sites. UNESCO said it had “provided all affected countries with the geographical coordinates of World Heritage sites and other important cultural monuments to help prevent possible damage.”