TEHRAN - Iran’s Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage has confirmed that no damage has been reported to the country’s museums or historical assets during the recent 12-day war with Israel, which came to a ceasefire early Tuesday.

Ali Darabi, Deputy for Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, on Tuesday said that despite the intense military aggression by Israel and subsequent involvement by the United States, Iran’s historical sites and museum collections remain unharmed.

“From the earliest hours of the Zionist regime’s hostile attacks, emergency protocols were issued to safeguard museum collections and cultural sites,” Darabi stated.

He added that preventive measures included the relocation of artifacts to secure storage facilities, enhanced security and safety protocols, and the deployment of protective personnel.

According to Darabi, all museums, historical monuments, and cultural heritage sites across the country were temporarily closed following the outbreak of hostilities. Their reopening has since been determined by each province’s local security council, in accordance with evolving security assessments.

Darabi also noted that Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, formally addressed UNESCO’s Director-General, requesting the activation of all legal and diplomatic mechanisms to help prevent any harm to Iran’s cultural heritage during the crisis.

“While we have fortunately seen no physical damage so far, the ongoing crimes by the U.S. and the occupying Zionist regime raise serious concerns about the potential risks to Iran’s irreplaceable cultural legacy,” Darabi warned.

Also, a collective of Iranian museum professionals issued a powerful and urgent statement denouncing what they describe as clear violations of international law and the systematic destruction of cultural and human heritage by the Zionist regime. 

The statement, released on Sunday, reflects the deep concern of cultural custodians across Iran over the human and cultural cost of the war, describing the situation as a moral and historical crisis that demands immediate global attention and condemnation.

"These bitter days compel us, as guardians of Iran’s cultural and historical legacy, to raise our voice against widespread human rights abuses and direct harm to our national heritage," the group wrote. They underscored the destruction of civilian sites and the targeting of cultural institutions, including museums and historical artifacts, many of which have endured centuries of preservation.

The collective warned that several museums across Iran have either been forced to shut down or are now operating under the constant threat of bombardment. 

AM