"What I do find interesting is the structure in the desert to the southeast, but still within the outer compound security fence
That looks like a filled in impact crater to me. A big one. Might just be a dry water hole, but that doesn't look right. Unfortunately its outside the high-res imagery. But whatever it is, its over 100 yards across"
I hope I am looking at the same thing as you.
The google earth image I gave you has a scale on it so we can now work out the Exact sizes of things.
I diagree with what it is. I don't think it is a dry water hole, I look at those often here in Aus, it has too much of a earthen berm around one side.
I think it is man made, it looks like a semi circular earthen berm has been made as you can see the scape marks on BOTH sides of the ridge. It has height to it (the berm). Have a look at the scrape marks of the berm round the outside of the facility, you can see the same scrape marks.
Small arms weapons range? Small burning area?
Their is a OLD square earthen shape but inside this and off to the east it looks like Bomb Craters. Also some other interesting craters to the NW of it and a line of something to the South of the square earthen shape. I'll defer here to the RAF boys - are these bomb craters ?
They look like craters, and the straight line in which they appear would help indicate as such too.
I think perhaps the whole larger area is something of a test area.
Interesting parallel lines just outside of the berm to the south, about 20' apart.
There's another 'facility' a couple of miles due north, and what could be a military HQ (with a 200'x250' parade ground? - it also generally looks very spick & span so maybe Revolutionary Guard) 2 miles due east.
The built up area 4.75 miles 325 degrees from the explosion looks very orderly too, and far bigger than the villages around it.