US Strikes Greater Tunb: Why This Island Matters To Iran’s Grip On Strait Of Hormuz
US Strikes Greater Tunb: Why This Island Matters To Iran’s Grip On Strait Of Hormuz Published By, Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 09:25 IST Greater
US Strikes Greater Tunb: Why This Island Matters To Iran’s Grip On Strait Of Hormuz Published By, Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 09:25 IST Greater Tunb is one of seven islands that give Iran strategic positions near commercial and naval traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Rapid Read Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman. (Reuters photo) The US military struck Greater Tunb Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, targeting Iranian defence and missile sites in a 90-minute attack. “CENTCOM launched precision munitions against coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island during the 90-minute wave," the US Central Command said in a post on X, claiming that the strikes had further “degraded" Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The strike came as the US military reimposed the naval blockade of Iran at the direction of President Donald Trump. Within 17 hours, American forces said they had “redirected" two commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade. Greater Tunb is a small island, but its location gives it considerable strategic value. It is one of seven islands that researchers say form a defensive arc around the Strait of Hormuz, giving Iran positions close to the routes used by commercial tankers and naval vessels. The island is administered by Iran, although the United Arab Emirates claims sovereignty over it. Why Is Greater Tunb Important? Greater Tunb lies in the Persian Gulf close to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which vessels enter and leave the Gulf.
Its importance comes largely from its position near the navigable routes used by large ships. Much of the Persian Gulf is shallow, which means tankers and warships cannot move freely across the entire waterway. They must use deeper channels, bringing them closer to some of the islands controlled by Iran. Greater Tunb is one of the three small islands at the western end of this strategic chain. Which Seven Islands Form Iran’s ‘Arch Defence’? The seven islands are Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, Hengam, Qeshm, Larak and Hormuz. Iranian researcher Enayatollah Yazdani and Chinese researcher Ma Yanzhe described them as forming Iran’s “arch defense" in a 2022 paper cited by CNN. “A hypothetical curve connecting these islands would further help to understand Iran’s strategic superiority in controlling the security" of the Hormuz strait, the researchers wrote. The islands stretch from the approaches to the strait into the Persian Gulf, giving Iran positions at different points along the shipping route. Hormuz, Larak, Qeshm and Hengam lie closer to the eastern side of the strait and the Iranian mainland. Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb are located farther west inside the Persian Gulf. Why Are Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb And Abu Musa Crucial? Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa are the smallest of the seven islands, but their location makes them especially important. According to the researchers cited by CNN, the limited distance between the three islands and the depth of the surrounding waters mean that “large warships and tankers are forced to walk past" them.
The BriefWire