The United States military launched fresh strikes on Qeshm, a fortified Iranian island near the Strait of Hormuz, on Wednesday as diplomatic efforts slowed and Iran resumed attacks on its neighbours. US Central Command stated that the military targeted a ground control tower on the island in 'self-defence', alleging that Iran had attempted but failed to strike Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles.
Strategic Importance of Qeshm Island
Residents reported hearing early morning explosions on the 558-square-mile stretch off the mainland, which has been used throughout the conflict to attack ships passing through the closed waterway. At the height of the war, Qeshm was considered a potential target for a US ground offensive as Washington explored ways to break Tehran's hold on the Strait of Hormuz.
In peacetime, the island is a tourist destination known for its salt caves and remnants of fortifications installed by European empires. The Royal Indian Navy operated from the island until 1863, and the last coaling station for the navy was abandoned in 1935 at the request of the Shah of Iran. Since then, Iran has transformed the island with missiles, drones, and fast-attack boats, giving it strategic importance for controlling the Strait of Hormuz.
Underground 'Missile City'
Exact details remain confidential, but retired Lebanese Brigadier-General Hassan Jouni, a military and strategic expert, previously told Al Jazeera that the island has the capability to strike from an underground 'missile city'. According to defence analyst Can Kasapoğlu, satellite imagery suggests Iran has installed a significant portion of its anti-ship missiles in underground launch positions on Qeshm. Writing for the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank based in Washington, he noted that any US campaign in the region would likely focus on two decisive islands: Kharg and Qeshm.
Kharg Island and Oil Exports
Kharg Island handles approximately 90 per cent of Iran's oil exports, and capturing it would enable the US to disrupt Iran's energy trade and exert enormous pressure on its economy. Iran has fortified Kharg with additional surface-to-air missiles and laid traps, including anti-personnel and anti-armour mines in the surrounding waters, as reported by CNN citing sources familiar with US intelligence.
Qeshm, meanwhile, operates as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' primary denial hub, a much larger base designed to block traffic approaching the Strait of Hormuz, Mr Kasapoğlu explained. 'Taking Qeshm is also most likely the harder fight,' he wrote. 'The island's size, terrain, and proximity to the mainland favour the defender. Iranian reinforcement efforts there would likely be continuous.' Even if the US could capture it, the cost would be high with relatively little strategic return, he added.
Preparations for Invasion
Rashid Al-Mohanadi, vice-president of the Centre of International Policy Research and an expert in Gulf security, told The Telegraph that 'Qeshm is likely to have the whole shebang' prepared for a possible invasion. 'Of course the island would have anti-ship capabilities, the coast is likely mined, the beaches booby-trapped and so on,' he said, adding that an additional threat would come from Iran's ability to launch strikes from the mainland.
The US said on Sunday 31 May that it had conducted 'self-defence strikes' on Iranian radar and drone control sites in Iran's Goruk and Qeshm Island, in response to what it described as 'aggressive' actions from Tehran. Early in May, a senior US official told Fox that the military had carried out strikes on Qeshm, but emphasised that renewed strikes did not indicate a desire to restart the war or end the ceasefire agreement.
Diplomatic Efforts and Nuclear Programme
Since mid-March, President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he is close to a deal to end the fighting and allow negotiators to address thorny issues, including the future of Iran's nuclear programme. Trump has said his top priority is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies developing a nuclear bomb and claims its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes. Tehran seeks access to billions of dollars in oil revenues, waivers on crude exports, a lifting of the US blockade on its ports, and continued leverage over the strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas traffic passed before the war.
