Inside Qeshm, Iran’s underground missile fortress and geological marvel

Al JazeeraCenterEN 5 min read 100% complete by Mohammad MansourMarch 17, 2026 at 07:31 AM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

Qeshm Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz, has become a strategic anchor for the US-Israel war on Iran. The island's unique geological features and location make it an ideal location for military operations. With its 1,445 square kilometres of land, Qeshm physically dominates the entrance to the strait from the Gulf, making it a crucial point in the world's most vital energy transit passage. The island is home to approximately 148,000 residents, primarily Sunni Muslims who speak the Bandari dialect. In March 2026, US air strikes targeted a critical desalination plant on the island, cutting off fresh water supplies to surrounding villages. This led to retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against US forces in Bahrain.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Hormozgan Province 35% US Marines 40% Gulf ×245% Juffair base 50% Bahrain 60% Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 70% Israel 70% Strait of Hormuz ×275% United States ×280% Iran ×590% Qeshm Island ×695%

Keywords

qeshm island 100% strait of hormuz 90% missile cities 80% iran 70% us-israel war on iran 70% strategic importance 60% desalination plant 50% military tensions 50% islamic revolutionary guard corps 40% energy transit 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Qeshm Island

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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qeshm island strait of hormuz missile cities iran us-israel war on iran strategic importance desalination plant military tensions islamic revolutionary guard corps energy transit

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