TEHRAN – Iranian officials have raised alarm over airstrikes by the United States and Israel that have damaged cultural heritage sites, prompting calls for accelerated assessments, potential legal action, and stronger international engagement.

First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has met Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri to review the situation, according to official statements. Aref instructed authorities to accelerate the identification, documentation and assessment of damage to historical and cultural sites and to pursue legal action at national and international levels.

He also called for the use of cultural diplomacy and engagement with international organizations to highlight the scale of the damage.

Salehi-Amiri said field assessments, documentation and emergency response measures were underway. He added that formal correspondence had been sent to international bodies, including UNESCO, to register the case and present it in specialized forums.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has said in a post on social media platform X that Israeli strikes had hit historical sites, some dating back to the 14th century, and questioned what he described as a lack of response from UNESCO.

Hassan Faratousi, secretary-general of Iran’s National Commission for UNESCO, has said attacks on registered heritage sites were “unacceptable” and that the extent of damage could not be easily assessed. He added that some sites would not have required repairs for centuries if the strikes had not occurred.

Faratousi said letters had been sent to UNESCO detailing the impact on Iran’s cultural heritage and described the organization as a platform for promoting cultural and scientific cooperation among countries.

Farhad Azizi, director-general of Iran’s national and world heritage sites, has said protective “Blue Shield” markers had been installed at monuments and museums. He said Iran had shared information on site locations with parties to the conflict and that expert teams were conducting digital documentation of damage, with cost estimates pending completion of assessments.

Also, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, has expressed concern about the impact of regional fighting on heritage sites, saying the organization had provided geographic coordinates of such locations to all parties and stressed they must not be targeted.

“These sites tell the history of civilizations across 18 countries in the region,” he said, calling for their immediate protection.

Among various media companies, Israeli newspaper Haaretz has said in a post on X that the war involving the United States and Israel was causing damage to Isfahan, describing it as one of the world’s most notable cities.
AM