What is Greater Tunb Island, the strategic point in the Strait of Hormuz targeted by U.S. airstrikes?

Explosions at an unknown location, during U.S. Central Command says are strikes on Iran.

| Photo Credit: Reuters

The U.S. military’s Central Command said on Wednesday (July 15, 2026) that it had launched airstrikes on Greater Tunb Island in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting Iranian defence installations and missile sites.

The latest escalation comes days after a fragile truce collapsed, raising concerns about a return to full-scale conflict. The development follows the U.S. decision to reimpose a naval blockade on Iranian ports, with Tehran once again threatening to disrupt regional energy exports.

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US strikes Tunb island

Central Command said the operation on the island lasted 90 minutes. “The strikes further degraded Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” it said.

“At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran. The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.

What is Greater Tunb?

Greater Tunb is a small island in the Persian Gulf near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The island, under Iranian control since 1971, is regarded as a strategically important location in the strait.

Along with Lesser Tunb, Greater Tunb overlooks the approach to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.

Situated close to the Strait of Hormuz, Greater Tunb is among several islands that play an important role in monitoring and influencing traffic through one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.

Point of contention between Iran and UAE

Iran assumed control of three islands, Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, in 1971. Since then, the United Arab Emirates has maintained its claim over them. The sovereignty of the three islands has remained a longstanding source of dispute between Tehran and Abu Dhabi.

The islands were occupied by the Shah of Iran in November 1971 as Britain was relinquishing its presence in the region from its base in Ras al Khaimah, now one of the emirates of the UAE. Unlike the case of Abu Musa, there is no agreement, provisional or otherwise, governing responsibilities for the Tunb islands.

Some analysts have argued that control of the islands would provide significant leverage over shipping movements through the Strait of Hormuz.

Strategic location of Tunb islands

Located in the Gulf, the three strategically significant islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa lie close to the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies are transported.

The islands, situated near the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial maritime passage linking the Gulf with the open ocean, have remained at the centre of a dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates for decades.

There are eight major islands in and around the strait, seven of them under Iranian control. Islands such as Qeshm, Hormuz, Larak and Abu Musa are located close to key shipping lanes, giving Iran a significant geographic advantage over the route. While ownership of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb is disputed by Iran and the UAE, the islands remain under Tehran’s de facto control and administration.

Published - July 16, 2026 09:38 am IST