Qeshm
Qeshm is the largest island in the Persian Gulf and a strategic Iranian military hub located near the Strait of Hormuz. In mid-2026, it became a primary target of United States airstrikes aimed at degrading the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval and air defense capabilities.
Qeshm Island occupies a critical geographic position at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, making it a cornerstone of Iran's maritime strategy and its ability to project power over the Strait of Hormuz. As the largest island in the region, it hosts significant infrastructure belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including naval bases, coastal missile batteries, and air defense arrays. These assets are central to Iran's 'anti-access/area denial' (A2/AD) doctrine, designed to threaten international shipping and counter Western naval presence in the Gulf. In July 2026, Qeshm emerged as a focal point of direct kinetic confrontation between the United States and Iran. Following a collapse in regional diplomatic efforts and increased Iranian aggression against maritime traffic, the U.S. launched a series of large-scale airstrikes targeting the island's military installations. Reports from The Zioneer Intelligence Desk indicate that these strikes systematically targeted the 'eyes and ears' of the Iranian military—specifically radar systems and surface-to-air missile batteries—alongside strategic naval ports. Iranian officials have since acknowledged that approximately 10 military targets on the island were hit during the American campaign. For Israel and its regional partners, the neutralization of IRGC assets on Qeshm is viewed as a vital step in securing global energy routes and reducing the regime's capacity to coordinate proxy attacks from its southern coastline. The island remains a high-tension zone as the U.S. continues to monitor for Iranian retaliation from remaining coastal assets.