Reports that thousands of additional US troops could be sent to the Middle East have fueled speculation over possible targets in any wider confrontation with Iran. One location drawing particular attention is Khark Island, the main hub for Iran’s crude oil exports and a site through which about 90 percent of the country’s oil shipments are believed to pass. Because of its central role in Iran’s energy trade, Khark is widely seen as one of the most sensitive points in the Islamic Republic’s economic infrastructure.
Yet analysts note that Khark is only one piece of a much broader strategic puzzle in the Persian Gulf. Iran controls dozens of islands in the area, and some of them may be even more important in military terms because of their position near the Strait of Hormuz. That narrow waterway is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, carrying a large share of global oil and gas trade. Any attempt to pressure Iran militarily would likely have to consider not only export facilities, but also Tehran’s ability to influence shipping traffic through the strait.
Researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in China have argued that seven islands in and around the strait form what they describe as Iran’s “defensive arc.” In a 2022 study, Iranian researcher Enayatollah Yazdani and Chinese scholar Ma Yangzhe wrote that an imaginary curved line connecting these islands helps explain Iran’s strategic advantage in overseeing security in the Strait of Hormuz. Their assessment suggests that geography itself gives Tehran a powerful tool in any regional escalation.
Among the most significant positions are Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, three small islands on the western edge of that arc. Despite their size, they are considered crucial for monitoring and potentially disrupting movement through the strait. Because the distances between the islands are short and the deepest section of the otherwise relatively shallow gulf lies near them, large military vessels and oil tankers are often forced to pass close by. That creates vulnerabilities that Iran could exploit with fast boats, mine-laying vessels and drones operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
For that reason, any discussion of possible US military planning in the region is increasingly tied not just to Khark Island’s export role, but also to the wider island network that underpins Iran’s maritime defense posture. The balance of power in the Gulf may depend as much on these small outposts as on major bases and oil terminals.
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