Iranian Gulf islands face attention amid fight over Hormuz

A US missile struck Iran's Larak island on Wednesday, the Tasnim news agency reported, in the latest reported attack on Iranian islands in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

The islands have been struck several times as Iran and the United States fight over the strategic waterway. Iran has sealed the strait after the collapse of a preliminary deal that had been aimed at ending the war.

Larak is a small island at the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route that Iran has blocked. It has been used for Iranian oil exports since 1987 and also has a military base. During the early phase of Iran's blockade, it became a stopping point for a small number of vessels that Iran allowed to enter or leave the Gulf.

Maritime data company Lloyd's List Intelligence described Larak as "Tehran's tollbooth" and said ships using the route had to pay a large fee. The United States strongly opposes Iran's plans to charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.

Kharg, an island in the northern Gulf about 30 kilometres from the coast, is home to Iran's largest oil terminal. A recent note from JP Morgan said Kharg accounts for about 90 percent of Iran's crude exports. The island was hit by US airstrikes in mid-March. US President Donald Trump called it a "crown jewel" for Iran and said every military target there had been "totally obliterated", while energy infrastructure was not damaged.

Kharg developed heavily during Iran's oil boom in the 1960s and 1970s because much of Iran's mainland coastline was too shallow for supertankers. Iran has since tried to broaden its export options, including by opening the Jask terminal on the Gulf of Oman in 2021. JP Morgan said Kharg remains a critical weak point for Iran and a cornerstone of its economy.

The White House had earlier suggested it was considering seizing Kharg. Farzin Nadimi of the Washington Institute said such an operation would be very difficult because the island is almost entirely covered with oil infrastructure.

Qeshm, the largest island in the Gulf, stretches for about 100 kilometres across the Strait of Hormuz and dominates the Gulf's entrance. It is a tourist destination for Iranians, known for UNESCO-listed rock formations, turquoise waters, mangroves and a more relaxed atmosphere. A resident recently told AFP that Qeshm had been very poor but that tourism had helped revive its economy in recent years.

Analysts also describe Qeshm as heavily militarised, with strike capabilities that could be used against shipping in the Gulf or against invading US troops. Iranian state media said the United States struck the island last week.

Iran also claims Lesser Tunb, Greater Tunb and Abu Musa, three disputed islets in the middle of the Gulf that are also claimed by the United Arab Emirates. Pierre Razoux of the France-based Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies said those islands, along with Siri, have been fortified and turned into small strongholds with anti-ship missiles.

Iran has stationed Revolutionary Guards naval forces on the islands. Iranian media reported in 2025 that the forces had deployed new missile systems capable of targeting nearby enemy bases, ships and equipment.