Context
Reports during the recent Middle East tensions suggested that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was involved in covert military operations against Iran, including a suspected strike on a refinery at Iran’s strategically important Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.
About Lavan Island
- Lavan Island is an important centre for Iran’s offshore oil activities and crude oil exports in the Persian Gulf region.
- The island serves as the operational base for the Salman, Resalat, and Reshadat offshore oil fields.
- Crude oil produced from nearby offshore reserves is brought to Lavan Island for processing, storage, and export.
- The island contains major petroleum infrastructure such as oil processing units, storage facilities, export terminals, warehouses, maintenance centres, and loading jetties.
- Located near the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz, the island occupies an important position along international energy trade routes.
- The Salman offshore field, situated nearly 144 km south of the island, includes one of the largest offshore oil complexes in the Persian Gulf.
- Administratively, Lavan Island falls within Iran’s Hormozgan Province and is situated around 40 km west of Qeshm Island.
- Geographically, the island is narrow and elongated, measuring roughly 25 km in length and about 5 km in width.
- In the past, the island was known for pearl fishing and came to be called the “Hidden Pearl Island.”
- Although fishing continues to support local livelihoods, oil-related industries now form the backbone of the island’s economy.
