When Satellite Imagery Goes Dark: New Tool Shows Damage in Iran and the Gulf

Bellingcat introduced an updated open-source tool, the Iran Conflict Damage Proxy Map, to monitor destruction in Iran and the wider Gulf region. Authored by University College London lecturer Ollie Ballinger, the tool uses a Pixel-Wise T-Test (PWTT) algorithm on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite. This method compares current SAR data to a one-year reference period to detect changes in building backscatter, indicating potential damage. The tool has already identified potential damage at sites like the Valiasr Barracks in Tehran and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. This allows researchers to quickly gain an overview of damage where open-source information is scarce, despite updates occurring only one to two times per week.