The Battle of Iwo Jima, a key part of the Pacific Theater in World War II, was a 36-day battle between the U.S. Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army, fought primarily in February and March of 1945. The U.S. aimed to capture the island’s airfields to support bombing raids on Japan and provide emergency landing strips for B-29 bombers. Despite facing heavily fortified Japanese defenses, the Marines ultimately secured the island, though at a high cost of over 26,000 American casualties. The battle is famously known for the iconic flag-raising on Mount Suribachi, captured in a photograph that became a symbol of the war.