What was the strategic significance of the Battle of Iwo Jima for the United States?

The Battle of Iwo Jima was strategically significant for the United States primarily because it served as a supply base for the invasion of Japan. Capturing Iwo Jima allowed the U.S. military to establish airfields that could support long-range bombing operations against the Japanese home islands. This not only provided a direct military advantage but also facilitated closer access for American forces as they advanced toward Japan.

The islands' capture was essential in the larger strategy of island hopping, where the U.S. sought to take key islands in the Pacific to get closer to Japan, thereby reducing the distance that bombers would need to travel to reach their targets. Iwo Jima's airstrips were used for numerous missions, including refueling and launching aircraft that conducted bombing raids over Japan, and its strategic position made it a critical point in the Pacific Theater.

While the other options provide context surrounding the battle and its timing, they do not encapsulate the primary strategic value of Iwo Jima in the way that establishing a supply base for the invasion of Japan does.