Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has deployed missile systems to three hotly contested islands in the Persian Gulf, amplifying Tehran’s military footprint in one of the world’s most geopolitically sensitive waterways.
The deployment comes with an explicit warning: Iran now possesses the capability to target “enemy bases, vessels, and assets” across the region. The missiles have been stationed on Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa — a triad of islands that sit just north of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime artery through which roughly one-fifth of global oil passes.
Control of these islands effectively grants Iran a commanding position over this vital energy corridor, where strategic geography meets global economic lifelines. This latest move follows a series of IRGC military drills conducted in the surrounding waters—exercises widely viewed as a show of force aimed at adversaries in the Gulf and beyond.
Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the IRGC Navy, confirmed the militarization strategy.
“We have a tactic that we must arm the island group and make it operative,” Tangsiri stated. “We are capable of attacking enemy bases, vessels, and assets in the region,” he added, emphasizing that the missile systems can “completely destroy any target within 600 kilometers (370 miles).”
Although Iranian authorities have yet to officially name the missile systems deployed, regional defense sources and satellite imagery analysis suggest the presence of the indigenously developed 15th Khordad air defense system.
First unveiled in 2019, the 15th Khordad represents a leap forward in Iran’s layered air defense architecture. It is an autonomous system designed to detect, track, and intercept a variety of aerial threats, including fourth-generation fighter jets, UAVs, and cruise missiles. Paired with Sayyad-3 surface-to-air missiles, the 15th Khordad is believed to have a radar detection range of up to 150 kilometers and an engagement envelope extending as far as 200 kilometers—a reach that effectively blankets much of the central Gulf airspace.
This deployment serves as both a defensive mechanism and a deterrence measure against regional rivals and Western forces operating in the vicinity. Coming at a time of renewed tensions with the United States, it also fits into a broader pattern of regional militarization, particularly in proximity to key energy chokepoints and international maritime routes.
Iranian leaders have made clear that they view any external interference in the region with hostility. In a recent address, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reinforced Tehran’s defiant posture toward Washington, stating:
“US threats against Iran will get them nowhere. If they do anything malign to the Iranian nation, they will get a hard slap.”
The escalation follows multiple instances of maritime confrontations in the Gulf, including the seizure of commercial vessels by Iranian forces and ongoing concerns about the security of regional shipping lanes. Iran has accused Western forces, particularly the US and the UK, of destabilizing the Gulf through their military presence, while Washington and its allies contend that Iran’s aggressive actions threaten global trade and regional stability.
The three islands — though diminutive in size — hold immense geopolitical significance. Their proximity to the Strait of Hormuz grants whoever controls them not just maritime oversight, but strategic leverage over the flow of hydrocarbons to global markets.
Iran seized control of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa on November 30, 1971, just two days before the formal establishment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Since then, Abu Dhabi—particularly the emirates of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah—has consistently challenged Iran’s sovereignty claims, accusing Tehran of occupying what it considers Emirati territory.
Greater and Lesser Tunb lie closer to Ras Al Khaimah’s coastline, while Abu Musa is situated near both Iran and Sharjah. A 1971 agreement between Tehran and Sharjah was intended to establish a form of joint administration on Abu Musa, but over the decades, Iran has steadily asserted unilateral control, establishing a military garrison and expanding infrastructure—moves that have drawn diplomatic protests from the UAE.
Iran, however, maintains that the islands are “inseparable parts of Iranian territory” and has rejected calls for bilateral negotiation or international arbitration. The UAE continues to press its case before the international community, including attempts to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice—efforts that Iran has consistently rebuffed.
At its core, the dispute over these islands is not merely a territorial disagreement but a flashpoint encapsulating the wider geopolitical rivalry playing out across the Gulf. The region’s security, energy interests, ideological battles, and influence struggles are all tightly interwoven.
As maritime traffic intensifies and the regional arms race escalates, the militarization of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa serves as a stark reminder: the Persian Gulf remains one of the most volatile and strategically consequential theaters in global security.
The question now is how regional actors and global powers will respond to Iran’s latest maneuver. Will this lead to a new round of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, or will it further cement an already precarious security landscape? As the Gulf remains on edge, the world watches closely.
