The Doruneh Fault is one of the longest faults in Iran, arcing for roughly 700 kilometres across the northern edge of the Central Iranian block from the Lut Desert region toward the northwest. Its curved trace bends from an east-west orientation into a more northwesterly direction, giving it a distinctive arced shape on maps.
The fault accommodates the deformation caused by the ongoing convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian plates, which crumples and rotates the rigid blocks of central Iran. It is predominantly a left-lateral strike-slip fault along much of its length, with the sense and rate of slip varying along the curved trace.
Paleoseismic and geodetic studies show the Doruneh Fault is active and capable of producing significant earthquakes, having been associated with historical seismic events in northeastern Iran. Its great length and complex geometry make it a key structure for understanding how strain is distributed across the Iranian plateau.