Iranian heritage groups urge UNESCO action after Israeli strikes
More than 50 Iranian cultural heritage NGOs called on UNESCO on June 27 to take “binding measures” to prevent further damage to Iran’s historical sites after Israeli airstrikes hit areas near the Bisotun World Heritage Site earlier this month.
In a letter sent to Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s director-general, the organizations condemned Israel’s attacks that began on June 13, warning they pose a “serious threat” to Iran’s cultural heritage, ILNA reported.
The groups urged UNESCO to issue an official statement condemning the strikes and to consider referring the issue to the UN Security Council if attacks continue.
“Military actions that damage historical monuments and cultural sites are a clear violation of human rights,” they wrote, citing the 1954 Hague Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 2347 (2017) on protecting cultural heritage during armed conflict.
The NGOs said drone and missile strikes landed as close as 3 km from Taq-e Bostan, an ancient Sassanid rock relief complex near Kermanshah in western Iran, according to a report by Iranian news agency ILNA.
The organizations warned such attacks could trigger “cultural catastrophes” similar to those seen in other war-torn countries.
Iran hosts 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Persepolis and Bisotun, which contains inscriptions from Darius the Great dating back to the 5th century BCE. The groups said air raids near these sites raise “deep concerns” over irreversible damage.
The letter asked UNESCO to deploy expert teams to Iran, form monitoring committees, and use its “executive and binding tools” to prevent future strikes on cultural sites.
Signatories included the Iranian Association of Conservation Experts, the Pars Tourism House, the Tabriz Cultural Heritage Friends Society, and the Shush Ziggurat Cultural Tourism Association.