Iran's Gulf islands: targets in latest fight over Hormuz

Iran’s islands in and around the Strait of Hormuz have again become flashpoints in the wider confrontation over the strategic waterway, after Iranian media said a US missile struck the island of Larak on Wednesday.

According to Tasnim news agency, the strike hit Larak, a small island at the narrowest point of the strait, adding to a series of attacks on Iranian-held islands in the area. The reported strike comes as the maritime chokepoint remains sealed by Iran following the collapse of a preliminary deal meant to end the war.

The islands lining the strait matter because they sit astride one of the world’s most important shipping routes. Iran has used them to extend its military reach, protect export routes and, in some cases, pressure commercial traffic passing through the Gulf.

Larak has drawn particular attention. It hosts a military base and has been used for Iranian oil exports since 1987. It also came into the spotlight during Iran’s initial blockade earlier in the war, when only a limited number of vessels were allowed to move through the route. Maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence dubbed it “Tehran’s tollbooth” after ships using the passage were reported to have paid substantial fees. The United States has strongly opposed any such tolling plan.

Further north, Kharg remains a crucial part of Iran’s energy system. The island is home to Iran’s largest oil terminal and is said by JP Morgan to handle about 90 per cent of the country’s crude exports. It was targeted by US airstrikes in mid-March, though energy infrastructure was left intact, according to the summary. US President Donald Trump described Kharg as a “crown jewel” and said military targets there had been “totally obliterated.”

Iran has worked to reduce its dependence on Kharg by developing other export routes, including the Jask terminal on the Gulf of Oman coast, which opened in 2021. Even so, analysts cited in the report described Kharg as a major vulnerability and a cornerstone of Iran’s economy.

Qeshm, the largest island in the Gulf, also figures in the standoff. It stretches across the Strait of Hormuz and overlooks the entrance to the Gulf. Beyond its military importance, it is also known within Iran for tourism, with Unesco-listed rock formations, mangroves and coastal scenery helping to lift the local economy in recent years. But the island is also heavily militarised, and Iranian state media said it was struck by the US as recently as last week.

The report also highlights three disputed islets — Lesser Tunb, Greater Tunb and Abu Musa — which Iran claims but the United Arab Emirates also claims. Along with Siri, they have been fortified and reportedly host anti-ship missiles and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps naval units. Iranian media reported in 2025 that new missile systems were deployed there to target nearby enemy bases, ships and equipment.

This article is based on a monitored public feed and attributes details reported by AFP and other cited outlets in the source material. Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017566/irans-gulf-islands-targets-in-latest-fight-over-hormuz