Iran turns to global cultural allies after damage to heritage sites in Israel attacks
Iran has formally accused Israel of endangering its cultural heritage during the recent 12-day war and says it will file an international complaint based on damage assessments currently underway, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi-Amiri told reporters at a news conference in Tehran.
The minister said Iran had submitted multiple urgent letters to UNESCO at the height of hostilities, warning of possible attacks on its ancient sites. According to Salehi-Amiri, the UN agency passed Iran’s concerns on to Israel, but "even UNESCO's warnings were ignored." Israel, along with the United States, withdrew from UNESCO in 2011 and no longer abides by its cultural protections.
The ministry, joined by archaeologists, museum officials, and national heritage NGOs, began transferring historic artifacts from major institutions — including the National Museum of Iran and the UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace — to secure locations just days into the war. Emergency measures included the installation of “blue shields” on museum rooftops, signaling protected cultural sites under international law.
Critics online raised questions over improvised steps, such as wrapping chandeliers in plastic and rushed evacuations. But officials insisted that in the absence of wartime protocols or prior experience, museums had acted quickly under fire. Tehran endured nearly daily Israeli air raids during the conflict.
“The very fact that they moved priceless collections overnight under bombardment is commendable,” said one senior preservation official. Authorities now aim to roll out war-specific crisis drills and protective guidelines during the current ceasefire.
Salehi-Amiri confirmed that Iran’s government had approved a nationwide directive requiring ministries to evaluate both direct and indirect wartime damage — including to infrastructure, cultural heritage, and human life — in preparation for a possible international lawsuit against Israel.
Ali Darabi, Iran’s deputy minister of cultural heritage, stressed that both Israel and the US “have walked away from all binding UNESCO obligations” and must be held accountable. He called on the global community to enforce protections for heritage in conflict zones and ramp up legal penalties for violators.
Darabi also pointed to broader regional coordination. Iran is working with member states of the Civilizations Forum — launched by Armenia and Greece and including ten countries — to exchange expertise and, where possible, repatriate stolen or displaced cultural objects.
He said Iran’s Tehran-based Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage, representing 24 nations, had issued diplomatic notes during the war. Several member states released statements in support of heritage protection.
Responding to a proposal raised by a local journalist, Darabi said Iran would push for global rules that bar attacks on cultural sites and punish states that do. “This must be a permanent agenda,” he said, “because any advanced nation could face such threats in the future.”