Iran's islands in crosshairs

kAm%96 :D=2?5D @77 xC2?VD 4@2DE 3642>6 2 7@4FD @7 E96 H2C 27E6C 2 &]$] DEC:<6 56DEC@J65 >:=:E2CJ D:E6D |2C49 `b @? z92C8 xD=2?5[ H9:49 :D G:E2= E@ xC2?VD @:= ?6EH@C<]k^Am

kAm%96 DEC:<6 @? E96 :D=2?5 :? E96 !6CD:2? vF=7 =67E :ED @:= :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :?E24E 2?5 G6DD6=D H6C6 DE:== D66? 2CC:G:?8 2?5 =@25:?8 FA H:E9 7F6= :? E96 52JD 27E6CH2C5[ 244@C5:?8 E@ D2E6==:E6 :>286CJ A@DE65 3J E96 A=2E7@C> %2?<6C%C24<6CD]k^Am

kAm%9@F89 &]$] !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A D2:5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D QE@E2==J @3=:E6C2E65Q E96 :D=2?5VD >:=:E2CJ 2DD6ED[ 96 H2C?65 E92E :7 xC2? @C 2?J@?6 6=D6 :?E6C76C6D H:E9 D9:AD A2DD:?8 E9C@F89 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK[ 96 H:== C64@?D:56C 9:D 564:D:@? ?@E E@ E2C86E @:= :?7C2DECF4EFC6]k^Am

kAmxC2?VD :D=2?5D 244@F?E 7@C @?=J 2 D>2== D92C6 @7 :ED E6CC:E@CJ 3FE 92G6 @FED:K65 :>A@CE2?46 3642FD6 @7 E96:C @:= 724:=:E:6D 2?5 DEC2E68:4 =@42E:@?]k^Am

kAmw6C6VD H92E E@ <?@H 23@FE xC2?VD :D=2?5D :? E96 !6CD:2? vF=7 FA E@ E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FKik^Am

kAmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\H6:89Ei3@=5Qmz92C8 xD=2?5k^DA2?mk^Am

kAmQw6 H9@ 4@?EC@=D z92C8 xD=2?5[ 4@?EC@=D E96 56DE:?J @7 E9:D H2C[Q &]$] $6?] {:?5D6J vC292>[ @?6 @7 %CF>AVD 4=@D6 #6AF3=:42? 2==:6D[ A@DE65 @? D@4:2= >65:2]k^Am

kAm%96 D>2== 4@C2= :D=2?5 23@FE a` >:=6D @77 xC2?VD 4@2DE :D E96 AC:>2CJ E6C>:?2= E9C@F89 H9:49 ?62C=J 2== @7 xC2?VD @:= 6IA@CED A2DD] xC2? 6IA@CE65 `b]f >:==:@? 32CC6=D D:?46 E96 H2C DE2CE65]k^Am

kAmxC2? 86ED 2 D:8?:7:42?E D92C6 @7 :ED C6G6?F6 7C@> @:=[ H:E9 D9:A>6?ED 7=@H:?8 E@ 4@F?EC:6D =:<6 r9:?2] tIA2?565 DEC:<6D @? z92C8 H@F=5 ?@E @?=J 7FCE96C 52>286 xC2?VD 4FCC6?E 8@G6C?>6?E 3FE 4@F=5 2=D@ F?56C>:?6 E96 G:23:=:EJ @7 H92E6G6C >:89E 6G6?EF2==J C6A=246 :E]k^Am

kAm%96 :D=2?5 92D DE@C286 E2?<D 2?5 9@FD:?8 7@C E9@FD2?5D @7 H@C<6CD] v2K6==6D C@2> 7C66=J ?62C E96 C67:?6C:6D 2?5 56A@ED E92E >2<6 z92C8 @?6 @7 xC2?VD >@DE G2=F23=6 — 2?5 D6?D:E:G6 — 2DD6ED] xE 2=D@ :D 9@>6 E@ 2 >65:6G2= !@CEF8F6D6 7@CEC6DD 2?5 E96 CF:?D @7 @?6 @7 E96 @=56DE r9C:DE:2? >@?2DE6C:6D :? E96 !6CD:2? vF=7]k^Am

kAm!6EC2D z2E:?2D[ 2? 6?6C8J C6D62C496C 2E E96 #@J2= &?:E65 $6CG:46D x?DE:EFE6[ D2:5 z92C8 xD=2?5 H2D 4C:E:42= E@ 7F?5:?8 xC2?VD 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 >:=:E2CJ]k^Am

kAmx7 xC2? H6C6 E@ =@D6 4@?EC@= E96C6[ :E H@F=5 36 5:77:4F=E 7@C E96 4@F?ECJ E@ 7F?4E:@?[ 6G6? E9@F89 E96 :D=2?5 :D ?@E 2 >:=:E2CJ @C ?F4=62C E2C86E[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmQxE 5@6D?VE >2EE6C H9:49 C68:>6 :D :? A@H6C — ?6H @C @=5[Q z2E:?2D D2:5] p E2<6@G6C H@F=5 8:G6 E96 &]$] =6G6C286 @G6C ?68@E:2E:@?D H:E9 xC2? 3642FD6 E96 :D=2?5 :D QE96 >2:? ?@56Q @7 :ED 64@?@>J] y!|@C82?VD 8=@32= 4@>>@5:EJ C6D62C49 E62> H2C?65 :? 2 C646?E :?G6DE>6?E ?@E6 E92E 2 DEC:<6 @? E96 :D=2?5 H@F=5 92G6 >2;@C 64@?@>:4 :>A=:42E:@?D @C Q:>>65:2E6=J 92=E E96 3F=< @7 xC2?VD 4CF56 6IA@CED[ =:<6=J EC:886C:?8 D6G6C6 C6E2=:2E:@? :? E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK @C 282:?DE C68:@?2= 6?6C8J :?7C2DECF4EFC6]Qk^Am

kAm%96 |2C49 `b DEC:<6D 9:E >@C6 E92? h_ E2C86ED[ :?4=F5:?8 2:C 5676?D6D[ 2 C252C D:E6[ E96 2:CA@CE 2?5 2 9@G6C4C27E 32D6 244@C5:?8 E@ D2E6==:E6 2?2=JD:D 3J E96 x?DE:EFE6 7@C E96 $EF5J @7 (2C 2?5 p>6C:42? t?E6CAC:D6 x?DE:EFE6VD rC:E:42= %9C62ED !C@;64E]k^Am

kAmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\H6:89Ei3@=5Qm"6D9> xD=2?5k^DA2?mk^Am

kAm%96 =2C86DE :D=2?5 :? E96 !6CD:2? vF=7 D:ED ?62C E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK 2?5 :D 9@>6 E@ 23@FE `d_[___ C6D:56?ED] xC2?:2? u@C6:8? |:?:DE6C p332D pC28949: D2:5 E96 &]$] DECF4< 2 56D2=:?2E:@? A=2?E @? "6D9> xD=2?5 @? |2C49 g[ 2 4=2:> ?@E 24<?@H=65865 3J (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am

kAmQpEE24<:?8 xC2?VD :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :D 2 52?86C@FD >@G6 H:E9 8C2G6 4@?D6BF6?46D[Q pC28949: H2C?65 :? 2 |2C49 f D@4:2= >65:2 A@DE] Q%96 &]$] D6E E9:D AC64656?E[ ?@E xC2?]Qk^Am

kAm%96 56D2=:?2E:@? A=2?E DFAA=:6D H2E6C E@ 23@FE b_ G:==286D]k^Am

kAmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\H6:89Ei3@=5Qm%:?J EC:@k^DA2?mk^Am

kAm%9C66 E:?J :D=2?5D — p3F |FD2 2?5 E96 vC62E6C 2?5 {6DD6C %F?3 — H6C6 =@?8 2 7C@?E =:?6 :? E6?D:@?D 36EH66? xC2? 2?5 vF=7 DE2E6D 2==:65 H:E9 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am

kAmxC2?:2? 7@C46D D6:K65 E96 :D=2?5D :? }@G6>36C `hf`[ 52JD 27E6C E96 &?:E65 z:?85@> H:E95C6H 7C@> E96 vF=7 2?5 ;FDE 367@C6 E96 D96:<95@>D ;@:?65 E@ 7@C> E96 &?:E65 pC23 t>:C2E6D] xC2? >2:?E2:?D >:=:E2CJ 2DD6ED 2?5 82CC:D@?D @? E96 :D=2?5D]k^Am

kAm%96 E6CC:E@C:2= 5:DAFE6 @G6C E96 :D=2?5D C6>2:?D @?6 @7 E96 vF=7VD >@DE A6CD:DE6?E 7=2D9A@:?ED]k^Am

kAmxC2? D2:5 E96 &]$] 2=D@ DECF4< p3F |FD2[ E9@F89 &]$] r6?EC2= r@>>2?5 5:5 ?@E :>>65:2E6=J 24<?@H=6586 E96 4=2:>]k^Am