TEHRAN – The U.S. and Israeli strikes have damaged more than 130 cultural and historical sites across Iran, including museums, palaces and UNESCO-listed landmarks, according to the country’s minister of cultural heritage.

Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts, said on Sunday that 131 historical sites had been affected, with the heaviest damage recorded in the capital, Tehran.

“During these attacks, 131 historical sites across the country were damaged, with the greatest losses registered in Tehran,” he said. 

Among the sites affected were parts of the Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the Qajar dynasty, which sustained structural and decorative damage, and the Saadabad Palace Complex, where 14 museums were impacted, he said.

In the central city of Isfahan, the Chehel Sotoun pavilion, a 17th-century Safavid-era structure, suffered significant damage, Salehi-Amiri added. Other sites in and around UNESCO-listed Naqsh-e Jahan Square, including the Shah Mosque and the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, were also hit, with cracks reported in their structures and damage to decorative elements.

Iranian authorities said damage was also recorded in several provinces, including Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Fars, and Kordestan.

In the city of Kashan, the historic Fin Garden, one of Iran’s oldest surviving gardens dating to the late 16th century, sustained damage to its pavilions and water features.

Salehi-Amiri said Iran had contacted international bodies including UNESCO, ICOMOS, and the United Nations, but that responses had largely been limited to expressions of concern.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry also said dozens of universities and research centers, including the Iran University of Science and Technology and the Isfahan University of Technology, had been struck in the attacks.

Cultural heritage sites are protected under international conventions, including those overseen by UNESCO, which designate certain locations as having outstanding value to humanity.
AM