The Battle of Iwo Jima, waged from February to March 1945, was a major battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II. The battle centered on the strategically significant island of Iwo Jima, located midway between the Japanese mainland and the Mariana Islands, where U.S. bombers were based. The battle saw U.S. Marines face relentless resistance from heavily entrenched Japanese forces in a volcanic landscape riddled with tunnels and bunkers. The battle, while ultimately an American victory, resulted in heavy casualties on both sides and became renowned for its ferocity and the iconic photograph of U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. The capture of Iwo Jima provided a crucial air base for the Allies in the final stages of the war against Japan.