Quick answer: Qeshm is an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz and the largest island in the Persian Gulf. It came into the news after United States forces carried out what officials called limited, defensive strikes on targets on the island late on 2 November 2026, the eve of the US midterm elections.
Why Qeshm Island is in the news
The Wall Street Journal first reported, citing US officials, that the American military had struck Qeshm Island on Monday, 2 November 2026. Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported several explosions on the island in quick succession, and the Fars agency said blasts were also heard at the port of Bandar Lengeh. According to CBS News, US military officials linked the action to two incidents that day: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards firing at an American fighter jet, and a missile fired from Qeshm that was seen as a threat to shipping. One US official told the Associated Press that the targets were Iranian surface-to-air missiles being used against US assets.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the next day that Tehran kept “the right to legitimate self-defense”. The strikes come amid a conflict that began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February 2026, followed by a ceasefire on 7 April and repeated clashes since, while US and Qatari mediators try to broker a deal. Al Jazeera reported that Brent crude rose $1.84 to $106.61 a barrel on 3 November. Damage on the ground has not been independently verified.
Key facts about Qeshm Island
- Largest island in the Persian Gulf, with an area of roughly 1,491 to 1,500 sq km, almost twice the size of Bahrain.
- It is about 135 km long and up to 40 km wide, lying just off Iran’s southern coast in Hormozgan region.
- A narrow channel, the Clarence Strait (also called the Khuran Strait), separates it from the mainland; at its closest point the island is only about 2 km from the shore.
- It faces the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir; Qeshm town is about 22 km from Bandar Abbas.
- Qeshm was one of three free trade zones identified by Iran in 1991, along with Kish Island and Chabahar.
- The Namakdan Salt Cave, about 6.6 km long and formed inside a salt dome, is one of the longest salt caves known and the key site of the Qeshm Island UNESCO Global Geopark.
- In 1988, Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by the US cruiser USS Vincennes just south of the island, killing all 290 people on board.
Strait of Hormuz, Hara mangroves and the wider geography
| Feature | What to remember |
|---|---|
| Strait of Hormuz | Joins the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman; Iran lies to the north and Oman’s Musandam Peninsula to the south. About 167 km long, narrowing to about 39 km. |
| Energy chokepoint | Around 20% of the world’s LNG and 25% of seaborne oil trade passed through it each year in 2023 to 2025. It is the only sea route out for Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Qatar. |
| Hara Biosphere Reserve | Listed under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1976; it protects the largest Avicennia mangrove ecosystem on the Persian Gulf coast. |
| Khuran Strait wetland | A Ramsar site; it shelters the Dalmatian pelican in winter and is a feeding ground for the green turtle. |
| Bandar Abbas | Iran’s main port city on the mainland, opposite Qeshm. |
The local name for the grey mangrove, Avicennia marina, is “hara”, which gives the forests their name.
Why it matters for India: Chabahar and energy security
India is a large importer of Gulf oil and gas, so any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz affects its fuel prices and shipping. Chabahar, India’s main project in Iran, sits on the Gulf of Oman coast, outside the strait. On 13 May 2024, India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation signed a 10-year contract to run the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar. The project goes back to a memorandum of understanding in May 2015 and a contract signed in Tehran on 23 May 2016. The port gives India a transit route for trade with landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia, and it handled the first consignment of Afghan exports to India in 2019.
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- Map-based questions on straits and chokepoints (Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Malacca) and the countries on either side are common in NDA and CDS geography.
- Expect matching questions on Gulf islands and ports: Qeshm, Kish, Hormuz, Bandar Abbas and Chabahar.
- India’s connectivity projects such as Chabahar link this topic to India-Iran and India-Central Asia relations.
- Environment papers may ask about mangrove species, Ramsar sites and UNESCO biosphere reserves outside India.
Practice MCQs
Q1. Qeshm Island lies in which of the following water bodies?
(a) Red Sea (b) Strait of Hormuz (c) Gulf of Aden (d) Caspian Sea
Answer: (b) — Qeshm lies off Iran’s southern coast in the Strait of Hormuz.
Q2. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with:
(a) Gulf of Oman (b) Arabian Sea directly (c) Red Sea (d) Gulf of Aden
Answer: (a) — the strait opens into the Gulf of Oman, which then leads to the Arabian Sea.
Q3. Which country lies on the southern shore of the Strait of Hormuz?
(a) Saudi Arabia (b) Qatar (c) Oman (d) Kuwait
Answer: (c) — Oman’s Musandam Peninsula forms the southern side.
Q4. India operates the Shahid Beheshti terminal at which Iranian port?
(a) Bandar Abbas (b) Bushehr (c) Chabahar (d) Bandar Lengeh
Answer: (c) — IPGL signed a 10-year contract for the Chabahar terminal in May 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the largest island in the Persian Gulf?
Qeshm Island of Iran is the largest island in the Persian Gulf, covering about 1,500 sq km.
Who carried out the November 2026 strikes on Qeshm Island?
US officials told several outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and CBS News, that the US military conducted limited, defensive strikes on targets on Qeshm on 2 November 2026. Iran said it reserved the right to self-defence.
What is the Hara Biosphere Reserve?
It is a UNESCO biosphere reserve listed in 1976 near the Khuran Strait between Qeshm and the mainland. It protects the largest grey mangrove (Avicennia) ecosystem on the Persian Gulf coast.
What is special about the Namakdan Salt Cave?
At about 6.6 km, it is one of the longest known salt caves in the world and the main geosite of the Qeshm Island UNESCO Global Geopark.
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter to India?
A large share of the world’s seaborne oil and LNG passes through it, including supplies bound for India. Disruption raises fuel prices and shipping costs, which is one reason India values Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman.
Also read on NCA: India-Central Asia relations | Monthly defence current affairs PDFs | CDS coaching in Chandigarh
Sources: CBS News, Al Jazeera, Reuters via ThePrint, UNESCO MAB: Hara, Wikipedia: Qeshm, ANI via ThePrint (Chabahar). Facts as reported up to 7 November 2026.
Featured image background: NASA image using data provided courtesy of the University of / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
