Iranian military sites have been targeted since the start of the US-Israeli war with a view to degrading the Islamic republic's forces, including its navy.

On Tuesday, the United States announced that it had "successfully" bombed Iranian anti-ship missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz after previously targeting warships and mine-laying vessels.

Here is an overview of the key points along Iran's coast:

- Major ports -

Bandar Abbas is the main city in southern Iran, with nearly 700,000 inhabitants.

Thanks to its location on the Strait of Hormuz, the capital of Hormozgan province is the nerve centre for trade between Iran and Gulf countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Smuggling using fast boats has developed there since Iran came under international sanctions.

As the main base of the Iranian navy, Bandar Abbas has been heavily targeted since the start of the war.

A significant uranium mine, Gachin, is located around 15 kilometres (10 miles) away.

Among the other important ports is Chabahar, near the Pakistani border, which is crucial for trade with Asia, particularly India.

Jask, on the Gulf of Oman, is a hydrocarbons and gas hub that allows Iran to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. A naval and air base is located nearby.

In the northern Gulf lies Bandar Khomeini, next to which "there are probably air and anti-ship missile installations extending to the Iraqi border", according to Pierre Razoux, research director at the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies (FMES) think-tank.

- Energy centres -

The coastal city of Bushehr, in the northern Gulf, hosts Iran's only civilian nuclear power plant, with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday that the plant had been hit on Tuesday evening by a "projectile" that caused no damage to the infrastructure and no injuries.

With naval and air bases, Bushehr ensures Iran's security in the northern Gulf.

Further south, the port of Bandar Kangan services the vast South Pars gas field, part of a reservoir Iran shares with Qatar.

In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran signed a contract with Russia in 2025 to build in Sirik a complex of four power plants with a combined capacity of 5,000 megawatts, according to the official news agency IRNA.

- Islands -

The largest island in the Gulf, Qeshm, stretches for about 100 kilometres in the Strait of Hormuz.

It is a popular tourist destination for Iranians thanks to its UNESCO-listed geological heritage, beaches, mangroves and relaxed atmosphere, but is also believed to be a major military outpost.

Iran accused the United States of attacking a desalination plant there on March 7 in what it called a "blatant and desperate crime".

The port of Qeshm is one of the entry points for goods coming from the United Arab Emirates.

Nearby are the small islands of Hormuz and Larak, largely militarised.

Further north, the island of Kish is popular with Iranian holidaymakers for its beaches, luxury hotels and shopping centres.

Some islands are crucial for Iranian oil flows, such as Lavan and especially Kharg, which is heavily fortified and through which most of Iran's oil passes.

The United States says it has bombed military installations there.

- Disputed islets -

Iran occupies three islets -- Lesser Tunb, Greater Tunb and Abu Musa -- in the middle of the Gulf, which are also claimed by the United Arab Emirates.

Along with another islet, Siri, "these islands are bunkerised, turned into mini-fortresses with anti-ship missiles". said Razoux.

Tehran has stationed contingents there from the Revolutionary Guards' naval forces, which in 2025 deployed new missile systems capable of targeting nearby "enemy bases, ships and equipment", Iranian media reported.

If these islets were "controlled by the United States, it would prevent the Iranians from using them for offensive purposes against maritime traffic", Razoux added.