Fires rage at Iran's Bandar Abbas naval headquarters, Strait of Hormuz traffic stalled
Satellite images released Monday show fires burning and vast plumes of black smoke rising from Iran’s main naval headquarters at Bandar Abbas, with at least one vessel ablaze following a strike.
The images, from Planet Labs, were released within days of the U.S. and Israel launching targeted strikes on Iran, and ahead of President Donald Trump saying he would not rule out sending U.S. troops into Iran if "necessary" amid Operation Epic Fury.
The escalation comes as commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively stalled, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI.
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According to the Times of Israel, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander also said the Strait of Hormuz was closed Monday, with Iran claiming it would set fire to any vessel trying to pass.
Fox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin confirmed, citing CENTCOM, that the Strait of Hormuz remains open.
A senior U.S. military official said Iran is neither patrolling nor enforcing its claimed "closure," and there has been no evidence of mines in the waterway. However, commercial vessels are navigating the area cautiously.
The official noted this is not the first time Iran has announced plans to close the strait, describing the move as a "pressure tactic" intended to stoke fear. The official added that Tehran is unlikely to mine the waterway, given that roughly 80% of its oil exports are shipped to China.
Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province, occupies a key position along the Strait of Hormuz and the port is a key base serving as the headquarters of the Iranian Navy.
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"As of 10:56 a.m. GMT on March 2, 2026, the Port of Bandar Abbas is experiencing multiple active fires, including one aboard a berthed vessel, while maintaining a significant combined military and commercial presence at port facilities," Windward AI reported.
"Three distinct fires are currently reported in the vicinity. Two are located at port infrastructure facilities, and one involves a vessel currently at berth."
Seventeen military vessels and five commercial ships remained docked despite the fires, the firm said, noting that the continued military concentration suggests "a heightened defensive posture rather than evacuation."
Windward warned that active fires at Iran’s principal naval and commercial port introduce "additional operational uncertainty" and raise the risk of secondary maritime disruption across the Gulf.
Video footage also shared by Iran International appeared to show an attack targeting Iranian naval air facilities in Bandar Abbas.
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Satellite imagery analyzed by BBC Verify identified a damaged vessel 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 about 228 meters, is also a mobile maritime base and helicopter carrier capable of deploying up to five helicopters and fast-attack boats.
The strike at Iran's naval HQ came on the third day of open conflict, with U.S. Central Command saying it had sunk 11 Iranian vessels in the Gulf of Oman.
"Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO," CENTCOM said on X.
Trump has said "annihilating" Iran’s naval forces is a core objective of Operation Epic Fury, and that the U.S. has destroyed nine Iranian naval ships so far.