Fires rage at Iran’s Bandar Abbas naval headquarters, Strait of Hormuz traffic stalled

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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, fromPlanet Labs, were released within days of the U.S.and Israel launching targeted strikes on Iran, and ahead of PresidentDonald Trumpsaying 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 firmWindward AI.

Bandar Abbas fires rage at Iran’s main naval headquarters (PLANET LABV)

According to theTimes 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.

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 theIranian Navy.

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A satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supply, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

“As of 10:56 a.m.GMT on March 2, 2026, the Port of Bandar Abbas is experiencingmultiple 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 byIran Internationalappeared to show an attack targetingIranian naval air facilitiesin Bandar Abbas.

KEY MILITARY SITES TARGETED INSIDE IRAN AS PART OF COORDINATED US-ISRAELI STRIKES

Warships maneuver off the coast of southern Iran during a joint maritime exercise.

Naval units from Iran and Russia simulate the rescue of a hijacked vessel during joint drills at the Port of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan, Iran, on Feb.19, 2026.(Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Satellite imagery analyzed byBBC Verifyidentified 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.

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“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.