TEHRAN – In response to recent Israeli attacks on Iranian territory, Iranian authorities have completed the emergency transfer of key historical artifacts from major museums to secure storage facilities across the country, sources told on Friday.

According to officials within Iran's Cultural Heritage Protection Unit, the relocation was carried out as a protective measure to safeguard Iran's most valuable museum collections from potential destruction, theft, or damage during the ongoing military tensions.

The move comes in the wake of unannounced and wide-ranging airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in the early hours of June 13, which targeted several areas across Iran in a manner described by Iranian officials as a violation of international wartime laws.

“Relocating significant museum holdings during times of war or natural disasters is standard protocol,” said a source from the Heritage Protection Unit, noting that the transfer concluded midday Friday.

While UNESCO explicitly prohibits attacks on cultural sites and museums during conflicts—categorizing such actions as war crimes—officials in Tehran cited a deep mistrust of Israel’s adherence to international conventions as a key reason behind the swift action.

Iran’s museum system includes priceless collections from ancient Persia, including Achaemenid, Sassanid, and Islamic periods. The recent steps underscore growing concerns that cultural heritage, long a target in modern conflicts, could become collateral in the escalating military tensions between Iran and Israel.

So far, no damage to museum sites has yet been reported.

AM