War damage spreads across Iran heritage sites with 149 affected
Iran’s cultural heritage authorities said on Saturday that recent strikes by the United States and Israel have damaged 149 historical sites across 18 provinces, with emergency restoration already under way.
Alireza Izadi, head of the historical registration office at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, said the figure remains provisional and could rise as detailed field assessments continue, IRNA reported.
He noted that the full extent of damage often emerges only after conservation teams remove compromised layers, particularly in intricate elements such as mirrorwork, plaster ornamentation and concealed structural components.
Officials said 59 museums and seven nationally registered historic districts were among those affected, with several prominent complexes sustaining structural damage. The Golestan Palace, a UNESCO-listed landmark in the capital, was among the sites drawing heightened public attention due to its symbolic status.
Izadi said the ministry was pursuing a uniform preservation policy, placing all registered sites on an equal footing despite the visibility of flagship monuments.
He added that the minister had instructed teams to press ahead with emergency stabilization and restoration without waiting for full budget allocations, deploying in-house specialists and technical capacity to expedite works.
He stressed the complexity of restoring heritage assets, saying each site requires tailored expertise spanning traditional artisanship and structural engineering. Authorities are seeking additional funding from the national planning body to accelerate the recovery process as the scale of damage becomes clearer.