Queshm - and whats on there.... Some confusion to my response from @MikeandDow & @josephbloggs (with question mark emojis - discussion in the below linked thread - and quotes from that thread below explaining why Qeshm is important - and how Iran might continue to try to monetise the Straits of Hormuz. https://aseannow.com/topic/1391514-us-asked-for-a-48-hr-ceasefire-iran-said-no/page/2/#comment-20450130 Quote: 4/4/2026 at 8:14pm, richard_smith237 I’m not convinced Qeshm is as irrelevant as you’re suggesting. It’s not just “another bit of coastline” - it sits right on the choke point of the Strait, which makes it a forward position for ISR, drones, anti-ship systems and swarm boat ops. That alone makes it strategically significant. On top of that, the island’s geology is important - Qeshm is known for extensive salt formations and cave systems - exactly the sort of terrain that lends itself to hardened underground storage. I’m not saying we can prove what’s in there, but it’s entirely plausible that it’s used for concealed munitions, drones, or launch infrastructure - that needs on the ground investigation which means taking the island. More broadly, this isn’t about “take one island and win”. The question is whether enough launchers, storage, sensors and command nodes can be taken to downgrade the risk Qeshm and nearby islands presents, also the mainland - when the overall threat drops below the level needed to shut down shipping. You don’t need zero threat - you just need manageable threat. The commercial angle also matters just as much as the military one. Ships aren’t avoiding Hormuz purely because of what Iran might do. They’re avoiding it because the insurance market effectively shuts the route down. So, while I agree that taking Qeshm wouldn’t magically fix Hormuz. But dismissing it as irrelevant feels just as off. If it’s a forward node for surveillance and strike capability - which its location and terrain strongly suggest - then neutralising it could materially reduce the threat. And that reduction, not total elimination, is what would get shipping moving again (IMO of course) - and I suspect thats where this conflict may be heading. It also turns out (as stated previous) Iran continues to want to monetise the straits - that was one of the primary issues at the beginning.
Create an account or sign in to comment