{
  "id": 18005856,
  "title": "What is the importance of Qeshm Island to Iran, why does the US keep targeting it? - explainer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/what-is-the-importance-of-qeshm-island-to-iran-why-does-the-us-keep",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T19:04:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-913739"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United States has recently carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island, an action that is not new to the region. In June, the U.S. targeted Iranian surveillance installations on both Qeshm and Goruk Islands, following Iran's launch of drone threats from the area. Qeshm Island, known as both a \"threat\" and a \"vulnerability\" to the Iranian regime, has a unique geographical location that enables Iran to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while simultaneously exposing its military infrastructure to U.S. strikes.\n\nThe island's strategic importance lies in its ability to monitor shipping and deploy forces to challenge vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, which is approximately 22 kilometers south of Bandar Abbas, the Iranian port city and a vital center for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. With a length of over 130 kilometers, Qeshm Island offers Iran a significant coastline threatening the Strait, as well as 40 kilometers of width at its widest point.\n\nIran has invested heavily in various types of naval threats, including small, fast boats armed with anti-ship missiles, drones, and coastal surveillance systems. The island also contains extensive underground military infrastructure associated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps, including weapons depots, missile launch platforms, radar installations, and fortified shelters for naval vessels.\n\nThe dual nature of Qeshm Island is intriguing, as it acts as both a symbol of strength and weakness for Iran. While the island enables Iran to threaten shipping and hide small vessels and munitions, its fixed infrastructure, such as fortifications, radar systems, launch sites, and communications networks, are vulnerable to U.S. attacks. The U.S. does not necessarily need to destroy every missile or naval vessel to weaken Iran's ability to coordinate attacks, as targeting fixed infrastructure can also be effective.\n\nAs part of Iran's wider strategy to threaten shipping, the Gulf countries, and U.S. bases, Qeshm Island plays a crucial role in Iran's broader chessboard of dangerous games. Iran has invested decades to threaten maritime operations and the energy corridor, with some arguing that the U.S. is winning this contest of attrition. However, high oil prices around $100 a barrel suggest that Iran still has an effect on global energy markets.",
  "summary": "The island is both a threat and a vulnerability for the Iranian regime; the same geography that allows Iran to threaten shipping in Hormuz also exposes its military infrastructure to US strikes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island as midterm elections start",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/us-strikes-irans-qeshm-island-as-midterm-elections-start",
        "published": "2026-11-03T12:12:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Semafor",
        "title": "US strikes Iran despite diplomatic push",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/us-strikes-iran-despite-diplomatic-push",
        "published": "2026-11-03T12:52:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "Iran says US ceasefire proposal 'insufficient' as strikes are reported on Qeshm Island",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/iran-says-us-ceasefire-proposal-insufficient-as-strikes-are-reported",
        "published": "2026-11-03T17:22:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hellenic Shipping News",
        "title": "European gas surges as U.S. strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/european-gas-surges-as-u-s-strikes-irans-qeshm-island",
        "published": "2026-11-03T18:00:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}