US May Sieze Three Iranian Islands, Including Kharg, Targeting Critical Oil Routes & Military in Hormuz

US May Sieze Three Iranian Islands, Including Kharg, Targeting Critical Oil Routes & Military in Hormuz

Great strategic importance has been attached to the islands, with Iran deciding to develop their military capabilities there since at least 2008. In particular, Abu Musa, the largest of the three islands, is home to a broad range of Iranian military capabilities. Former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, credited as one of the architects of Tehran’s “Mosaic Defence” strategy, even labelled Abu Musa Island as “Iran’s beating heart” in the Persian Gulf at the beginning of 2019.