US strikes Qeshm Island: why this Iranian island became a target

The strike and the official account

US forces struck Qeshm Island on Monday; according to American media, citing a US official, the target was a surface-to-air missile launcher that Iranian forces, according to the official, had attempted to use against an American military aircraft. “It was a defensive measure in response to the Iranians’ use of surface-to-air missiles against American assets,” the official was quoted as saying. The launcher’s location and the extent of the damage could not immediately be confirmed. The incident came more than eight months after the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28.

Iran’s counterclaim

The strike was preceded by a claim by the IRGC that its forces had shot down two American MQM-170 reconnaissance drones south of Qeshm using electronic warfare means, Iranian media reported. The claim could not be independently verified. Thus, the two sides offer opposing accounts of the same episode: Washington describes the strike as a response to a threat against its aircraft, while Tehran speaks of downed American drones.

Why Qeshm

Qeshm is the largest island in Iran and in the entire Persian Gulf, covering about 1,500 square kilometers. It lies in Hormozgan province near the port of Bandar Abbas and stretches along the northern side of the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. The population of Qeshm County, which also includes Hengam and Larak islands, is about 190,000 people. The island hosts a free trade zone, commercial ports and industrial facilities, and its economy relies on fishing, maritime transport, tourism and trade with Gulf countries; a UNESCO-recognized geopark is a notable attraction.

Military infrastructure and control over shipping

Qeshm’s location near the Strait of Hormuz makes it important for Iran’s coastal defense and maritime surveillance. IRGC Navy forces operate in the surrounding waters; Iranian media have reported IRGC activity on Qeshm and neighboring islands, while international media have pointed to an alleged naval base and underground missile facilities. In May, the IRGC announced an expansion of its maritime control zone — from the western tip of Qeshm toward the emirate of Umm al-Quwain (UAE) and from Kuh-Mobarak toward Fujairah — calling Qeshm the geographic reference point in Tehran’s maritime control system. The IRGC requires commercial vessels to coordinate their movements with Iranian authorities and use designated routes; some vessels pass through an alternative channel between Qeshm and Larak islands, which lies in Iranian territorial waters and allows the authorities to closely monitor movements. Restrictions on routes around the island and the strait could disrupt oil and gas exports and commercial shipping across the entire region.

Previous strikes on the island

Qeshm had been attacked before, since the start of the US-Israeli offensive on February 28. On May 31, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported strikes on Iranian radars and drone control points on Qeshm and in Goruk on the mainland, and on June 5 it announced new strikes on coastal surveillance radars in the same areas. In March, Iranian authorities accused the US of attacking a desalination plant on Qeshm that disrupted the water supply to 30 villages; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strike on civilian infrastructure, saying: “This precedent was set by the United States, not Iran.” According to local authorities, the plant supplied water to about 40,000 residents until repairs were completed and supply restored. The IRGC then claimed a retaliatory strike on an American military facility in Bahrain.