TEHRAN – The recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, which began on February 28, have triggered widespread concern over the safety of the country’s historical and cultural heritage. Reports indicate that prominent sites, including the Golestan Palace and the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, have sustained damage, highlighting the potential for irreversible losses to monuments that reflect centuries of Iranian civilization.

In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times, Pierfrancesco Callieri, a professor of Iranian archaeology at the University of Bologna and director of numerous Italian-Iranian archaeological missions at Persepolis and Pasargadae, examines the symbolic and psychological dimensions of targeting cultural landmarks, the challenges of restoring blast-damaged monuments, and the obligations of the international community under conventions such as the 1954 Hague Convention. Callieri also reflects on the broader implications of these attacks for Iran’s national identity and global cultural heritage.

The following is the text of the interview:

Following reports of damage to sites such as the Golestan Palace and historic areas in Isfahan, how would you assess the global cultural significance of these sites and the potential consequences of their damage?

These are two important sites, both located in cities that served as the capital of Persia (as Iran was known internationaly until 1934) during two different periods: the Golestan is in Tehran, the capital of Persia during the Qajar era (late 18th to early 20th century), while the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, with the splendid buildings lining its sides, is attributed to Shah Abbas, the principal ruler of the Safavid dynasty (15th–18th centuries), to whom we owe the construction of the precursor to modern Iran.

Do you think the targeting of cultural landmarks during the conflict is part of a broader psychological or symbolic warfare strategy?

The aggression against Iran by Israel and the U.S. is so reprehensible that we would be tempted to answer in the affirmative without any hesitation. However, since my university days, I have adopted the principle articulated by the great historian of ancient art, Gisela Richter, who asserted that an artifact strongly suspected of being a forgery remains authentic until proven otherwise—just as in a court of law: so I will attempt to assess whether any evidence is available. The main incriminating factor is the undoubtedly symbolic choice of the two Persian capitals for the first two attacks; but even more decisive is the fact that as early as 2020, Donald Trump had threatened to destroy 52 cultural sites in Iran. For a cultured people as interested in their history as the Iranians, the threat was unbearable, revealing Trump’s intent to wage psychological warfare.

Many analysts argue that attacks on cultural heritage represent an attempt to undermine national identity. Based on your expertise, how valid is this interpretation in the context of Iran?

It could be, since the U.S. has always conducted flawed analyses, causing situations to worsen following its intervention. However, we know that Iranians are very proud of their nation and acted accordingly, remaining loyal to the unity of the nation.

How difficult is it to restore ancient structures that have suffered blast-related damage?

The restoration of damaged ancient structures is a specialized branch of architecture, in which the first and foremost step is the documentation of existing fragments and a study of traditional building techniques.
My country, Italy, has had a significant influence on the development of restoration practices in Iran, thanks to the commitment of the Italian Institute for Middle and Far East-IsMEO, both regarding Islamic monuments—with the establishment in Esfahan of a school led by Eugenio Galdieri—and archaeological monuments, thanks to the work of Giuseppe Tilia at Persepolis, which resulted in the training of the foremost Iranian expert in this field, Hassan Rahsaz. The fact that restoration, within the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization and later the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, was overseen by specialists of the caliber of Mohammad Hassan Talebian and Rasul Vatandust, has placed Iran among the countries with the highest standards of restoration. In the current century, there have also been Iranian-Italian joint restoration activities at Persepolis.
However, these are extremely costly restorations, which in the event of war enter into an unfair competition with the dramatic emergencies faced by populations affected by bombing. Given that these are UNESCO World Heritage sites, international collaboration is expected for carrying out the restorations.

Do attacks that damage cultural heritage sites violate international frameworks such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property?

Certainly, the attacks violate the 1954 Hague Convention, which you mentioned, and subsequent updates such as the 1972 Paris Protocol. The contempt shown by the U.S. and Israel toward these documents—created precisely to prevent the recurrence of damage like that of World War II—confirms, however, that the two countries place themselves outside the bounds of civilized norms and should therefore be isolated: Israel’s position is even more serious, as they have used archaeology to construct its own expansionist ideology in the Middle East and therefore undoubtedly possesses an awareness that is certainly rare in the U.S. (and especially in the White House).

What role should organizations such as UNESCO play in documenting and responding to such incidents?

The role that UNESCO and other international organizations must play and do play in such situations is twofold, because in addition to the more technical functions related to the conservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of each member country, they must carry out a fundamental political effort to persuade governments that do not follow the appropriate guidelines.

Finally, based on your expertise and experience in Iranian archaeology, is there any additional point or perspective you would like to share regarding the recent attacks and their implications for Iran’s cultural and historical heritage?

I have sent this message to the Vice Rector for International Relations at my university and am awaiting a response:
Following the release by the Iranian Ministry of Culture of the official report—sent to cultural institutions across Europe—on the damage to architectural heritage caused by the aggression against Iran by Israeli and U.S. armed forces, which also affected monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage List, such as the Golestan Palace in Tehran and Naqsh -e Jahan in Esfahan—I urge our University, if it has not already done so, to issue a press release condemning the aggressors’ actions, which violate the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 Paris Convention, and to express solidarity with the Iranian people, who find themselves having to defend—in addition to their own lives and culture - the 29 World Heritage sites located on its territory.

I recall that as early as January 2020, the U.S. president had threatened to destroy 52 cultural sites in Iran, but the outcry of protests around the world had forced him to back down.
If, in this case, we fail to act concretely and promptly—condemning in every forum this behavior that violates every rule of international law, which, unfortunately, in other situations the pernicious propaganda of Western media vainly attempts to legitimize, and which in this case risks depriving all of us, citizens of this planet, of OUR heritage—we will be complicit in this crime, which adds to the many already perpetrated with our passive complicity.