What is the importance of Qeshm Island to Iran, why does the US keep targeting it? - explainer

The US carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island overnight, targeting military infrastructure. The island, located near the Strait of Hormuz, is used by Iran to threaten shipping and houses IRGC facilities including underground bunkers and missile platforms. US officials described the strikes as limited in scope.

The US carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island overnight, targeting military infrastructure. This is not the first time the US has struck the island; in June, it targeted Iranian surveillance installations on Goruk and Qeshm Island after Iran launched drone threats from the area. Al-Ain News reported that American forces carried out strikes on Monday, citing US media accounts and officials who indicated the strikes were limited in scope. One US official told Reuters the attacks 'appeared to be limited and did not represent a resumption of large-scale combat operations.' Qeshm Island is located about 22 kilometers south of Bandar Abbas, an important IRGC Navy center. The island is over 130 kilometers long and about 40 kilometers wide, giving Iran the ability to monitor shipping and deploy forces to threaten vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has invested in IRGC small boats, anti-ship missiles, drones, and coastal surveillance. Al-Ain reported that Qeshm contains extensive underground military infrastructure including weapons depots, missile launch platforms, radar installations, and fortified shelters. The article frames the island as both a threat and a vulnerability for Iran, noting that fixed infrastructure is vulnerable to US strikes.