A motorboat sails off the city of al-Jeer, in the Strait of Hormuz, in the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, in the north of the United Arab Emirates, with an oil tanker visible in the background, on Feb. 25, 2026. (Credit: Fadel Senna/AFP)
Their names have resurfaced recently, nearly a month after the start of the war against Iran. The islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb, controlled by Tehran but long claimed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are now reportedly at the center of options being considered by the Pentagon to deliver a "final blow" to the Islamic Republic. According to two U.S. officials and two sources familiar with the matter cited by Axios, capturing these strategic positions in the Gulf, close to the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, is under consideration alongside a possible ground intervention and a large-scale bombing campaign. Behind the headlines Why Iran thinks it won the war These scenarios are emerging as Turkey and Pakistan, in particular, act as mediators to try to secure a cease-fire. For its part, Tehran has so...
Their names have resurfaced recently, nearly a month after the start of the war against Iran. The islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb, controlled by Tehran but long claimed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are now reportedly at the center of options being considered by the Pentagon to deliver a "final blow" to the Islamic Republic. According to two U.S. officials and two sources familiar with the matter cited by Axios, capturing these strategic positions in the Gulf, close to the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, is under consideration alongside a possible ground intervention and a large-scale bombing campaign. Behind the headlines Why Iran thinks it won the war These scenarios are emerging as Turkey and Pakistan, in particular, act as mediators to try to secure a cease-fire. For its part, Tehran has so...
Rubio condemns Iran's 'outrageous' attacks on Kuwait
