By Zoey
The escalating military confrontation between the United States and Iran has once again placed three strategically important islands in the Persian Gulf at the center of international attention, highlighting their critical role in global energy security and regional military operations.
The islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb, though covering a combined area of only about 10 square miles (25 square kilometers), occupy one of the world’s most strategically significant maritime locations. Positioned near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, the islands overlook the primary shipping channel through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies pass during normal peacetime operations.
As tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate, recent U.S. military strikes targeting facilities on Abu Musa and Greater Tunb have renewed international focus on the disputed islands, raising questions about their future and the broader implications for security in the Gulf.
Iran has maintained control of the islands since November 1971, when forces under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi seized them shortly before the United Arab Emirates was formally established. The UAE has continued to claim sovereignty over the islands, making the dispute one of the region’s longest-running territorial disagreements.
Over the decades, Iran has transformed the islands into heavily fortified military positions that play a central role in its defense strategy and its ability to project military power throughout the Persian Gulf.
Abu Musa, the largest of the three islands, contains a small civilian settlement but primarily serves as a military installation operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The island hosts missile systems, air defense equipment, surveillance facilities, and fleets of fast attack boats capable of rapidly responding to activity within the Strait of Hormuz.
Greater Tunb also supports significant military infrastructure, including defensive weapons and surveillance assets, while the much smaller Lesser Tunb functions almost exclusively as a military outpost with no substantial civilian population.
Military analysts say the islands provide Iran with an advantageous position for monitoring commercial shipping, tracking naval movements, and responding quickly to developments in one of the world’s busiest energy transportation corridors.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most strategically important waterways on the planet. Every day, millions of barrels of crude oil and liquefied natural gas pass through the narrow passage, making any disruption capable of affecting global energy markets, fuel prices, and international trade.
Because of their location overlooking the deep-water shipping lanes, the islands have long been viewed as a critical component of Iran’s broader military strategy.
During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, the islands became important operational bases during the so-called “Tanker War,” when both sides targeted commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf. Iran used the islands to monitor maritime traffic, launch naval patrols, deploy sea mines, and conduct attacks against vessels transiting the region.
The United States responded during that conflict by escorting commercial oil tankers through the Gulf under military protection as attacks on international shipping increased.
According to historical U.S. military estimates, Iran targeted more than 160 commercial vessels during that period, making the Strait of Hormuz one of the world’s most dangerous shipping routes at the time.
The current conflict has again increased risks for commercial shipping. Maritime security organizations report dozens of incidents involving commercial vessels and offshore energy infrastructure since fighting intensified, underscoring continuing concerns about navigation through the region.
The recent U.S. strikes against Abu Musa and Greater Tunb have fueled speculation among defense analysts about whether the islands could become larger military objectives if hostilities continue.
Some military experts describe the islands as forming a layered defensive network that allows Iran to monitor and potentially restrict movement through the Strait of Hormuz. Their combination of missile batteries, radar installations, surveillance equipment, and naval assets gives Iran significant influence over one of the world’s most vital maritime chokepoints.
Although analysts believe the United States possesses the military capability to capture the islands if necessary, they also caution that maintaining control would present significant operational challenges.
Any force deployed to occupy the islands could face sustained attacks from Iranian ballistic missiles, drones, naval forces, and other weapons positioned throughout southern Iran and nearby military bases. Defense specialists warn that protecting troops stationed on the islands would require extensive air and naval support while exposing personnel to continuous military threats.
Beyond their military significance, the islands remain the subject of an unresolved territorial dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE has repeatedly called for the dispute to be resolved through direct negotiations or by referring the matter to an international court. In recent years, Emirati diplomacy has gained support from several major international powers for language encouraging a peaceful resolution, although Iran has consistently rejected any challenge to its control of the islands.
Legal scholars and regional analysts argue that the dispute extends far beyond questions of sovereignty because the islands occupy a position capable of influencing one of the world’s most important energy supply routes.
As fighting between the United States and Iran continues, the strategic importance of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb has once again come into sharp focus. What were once viewed primarily as isolated territorial disputes are now increasingly recognized as central to broader questions involving international security, global energy markets, freedom of navigation, and the balance of military power across the Middle East.
With no immediate end to regional tensions in sight, the future of the three islands is expected to remain closely watched by governments, military planners, and energy markets around the world, as developments there could have consequences reaching far beyond the Persian Gulf.
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