Tehran: US-Israeli airstrikes have damaged 114 cultural and historical sites across Iran, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts announced on Tuesday. The ministry's statement outlined the extent of the damage, which includes World Heritage sites, nationally registered locations, and other historic areas.
According to Anadolu Agency, the ministry's statement detailed that 48 museums and six historic urban areas in cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Sanandaj, Kermanshah, Qom, and Khansar have been affected. The damage spans a wide geographic area, with Tehran reporting 60 incidents and Isfahan 20, along with other provinces including Lorestan, Kermanshah, Bushehr, Qom, Alborz, East and West Azerbaijan, Mazandaran, Sistan and Baluchestan, Gilan, Ilam, Khuzestan, and Fars.
The statement emphasized that under international law, particularly the 1954 Hague Convention, any military action resulting in the destruction or damage of cultural heritage constitutes a violation of international obligations and threatens humanity's historical memory. The ministry urged international organizations, notably UNESCO, to take a more active role in safeguarding cultural heritage at risk.
Nine official letters have been dispatched through diplomatic channels to international entities such as UNESCO, the Asian Cultural Heritage Alliance, the International Council of Museums, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, and the World Tourism Organization, addressing the attacks on these sites.
The ministry highlighted the importance of Iran's cultural heritage as a legacy from the past to the future, underscoring the national and human responsibility to protect it. The ongoing regional conflict has intensified since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on February 28, resulting in over 1,340 casualties, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes aimed at Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries with US military presence, leading to further casualties, damage to infrastructure, and disruptions in global markets and aviation.