TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, said on Monday that attacks on Iranian historical monuments by the United States and Israel reflected what he described as “civilizational hostility” toward Iran, adding that damage to 149 historical sites would remain “a stain” on their faces.

Salehi-Amiri made the remarks during a ceremony marking International Museum Day and the start of Iran’s Cultural Heritage Week, attended by museum officials, researchers, restorers, academics and cultural heritage professionals, as well as relatives of the late Omidvar brothers, Iranian travel pioneers.

Consecutive airstrikes carried out by the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel from late February through late March damaged or destroyed 149 historical monuments and sites across several Iranian provinces.

The reported damage included sites listed as World Heritage properties, nationally registered monuments and historic urban areas in cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Sanandaj, Kermanshah and Khorramabad.

The incidents have raised concerns among Iranian officials and heritage experts over the vulnerability of cultural heritage during military conflict, particularly because many of the affected sites predate the establishment of the states involved in the strikes.

Salehi-Amiri described cultural heritage, national identity and what he called the Iranian nation’s “historical resistance” as deeply interconnected. He said Iran remained resilient due to its “cultural capital, national cohesion and culture of sacrifice.”

“If Iran stands powerful and proud in the world today, it is because of the sacrifices of generations who gave their lives for the survival, dignity and honor of this land,” he said.

The minister also commemorated those who martyred in what he referred to as the “Ramadan war” and children killed in Minab school, saying those responsible would eventually face accountability before international courts and global public opinion.

Referring to what he called “the third major crime of the United States in contemporary history,” Salehi-Amiri said the world had not forgotten Hiroshima or Vietnam and that Minab would likewise remain in Iran’s historical memory.

During his speech, Salehi-Amiri said Cultural Heritage Week aimed to “revisit Iran’s civilizational grandeur” and to emphasize the country’s historical and cultural significance.

“We hold Cultural Heritage Week so that Iranians and the world know that Iran is a land of narratives, mysteries, civilizations and the historical memory of humanity,” he said.

He added that the event was intended to educate younger generations about Iran’s historical identity and to encourage the preservation of cultural heritage as a “strategic asset.”

Salehi-Amiri also called on artists, writers, architects, musicians and restorers to contribute to preserving and promoting Iranian identity and culture.

He said attacks on Iran’s historical monuments reflected hostility by countries “without history, lineage or civilization,” adding that such actions demonstrated anger toward what he described as “the oldest living civilization in the world.”

Iran, he said, had emerged from the attacks “more united and cohesive than before.”

The minister then thanked museum officials, experts, researchers and restorers across the country for their work in preserving Iran’s historical heritage. He also praised Iran’s armed forces, the families of those killed in recent conflicts and the government for supporting the country during difficult periods.

Salehi-Amiri said Iran possessed more than one million historical artifacts and 43,000 nationally registered heritage sites, describing the country as “one of the world’s greatest soft powers” in the cultural sphere.

“Iran is a sun from whose light, warmth, culture and civilization the world benefits,” he said. “This nation will continue its historical path stronger than ever.”

AM