At this point, the paper still calls the island “Iwo”. was the correct name “Iwo Jima” and we did’t know it yet?
Was Iwo Jima more of a symbolic than strategic key in the fight against Japan?
At the risk of grossly oversimplifying, I believe the island had major tactical value as an air base w/in fighter range of the Japanese home islands and as an emergency landing site for B-29's. It was also desirable to deny it to the Japanese as a base from which to harass American forces.
The same factors made it valuable to the Japanese. It also had great symbolic importance because it was considered sacred Japanese soil (or ash, anyway). It was part of the prefecture of Tokyo.