From Gulf War to 2026 Iran war: What makes Iran’s Larak island so strategic

The US launched strikes on Larak Island on Sunday in what US Central Command says was a preemptive attack on the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Cops who (IRGC) were allegedly preparing to launch sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Larak is a small mostly sandstone island with a population of a little over 400 people. Yet, it has outsized geopolitical significance. Positioned inside the Strait of Hormuz, forming part of a network of Iranian military positions around the waterway through which 34 percent of global crude flowed in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency. This proximity to a globally important maritime route gives Iranian forces a strategically valuable location from which they can monitor and influence activity in the strait. Iran can also exert pressure without needing to fully close the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic. The threat of mines, missiles or other attacks can apply pressure by changing the behavior of ships and naval forces. Historical Influence Larak’s geostrategic relevance predates the current US-Iran war. During the Iran-Iraq War, when the land conflict had settled to a stalemate, the war was redirected into the Gulf, with attacks on commercial shipping escalating sharpy into what became known as the Tanker War. Iran set up an offshore oil loading facility off of Larak using large tankers to store and transfer oil to foreign vessels reducing exposure of these vessels to Iraqi attacks. Iranian tankers also shuttled oil between Larak and Kharg island, the country’s main oil-export terminal, allowing Tehran to keep oil moving. The importance of the island led Iraq to strike oil-storage tankers there in 1987. Island network Larak should be understood as a key constituent element of Iran’s island network used to project control of the strait rather than individually crucial. While Larak sits near one of the narrowest sections of the strait, covering the approach to Bandar Abbas, Qeshm is Iran’s largest island, giving it far more room to disperse and shelter military assets than the smaller, more exposed Larak and Hormuz Island. Qeshma also houses water desalination plants, crucial for water stressed Iran. Kharg has an altogether different function as a lifeline for the Iranian economy where deepwater terminals accommodate supertankers mostly bound for China. Together, the islands form a network where hitting one can weaken Iran’s capabilities but does not eliminate its ability to threaten shipping, sustain military operations around the Strait of Hormuz or maintain critical oil exports. Read more: Iran condemns new US attacks, says its forces acted in self-defense US strikes Iranian launchers on Larak Island over Strait of Hormuz mine threat Advertisement Advertisement