The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization expressed concern about damage to Iranian heritage sites during the U.S.-Israeli assault on the country.
In a Monday post on X, UNESCO said it was concerned about the dangers posed to UNESCO World Heritage sites amid the “escalating violence in the Middle East.” According to the body, the Golestan Palace in Tehran, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was damaged by debris and a shock wave from an airstrike on Arag Square.
“UNESCO continues to closely monitor the situation of cultural heritage in the country and across the region, with a view to ensuring its protection,” the post reads. “To that end, the Organization has communicated to all parties concerned the geographical coordinates of sites on the World Heritage List as well as those of national significance, to avoid any potential damage.”
UNESCO cited international laws protecting cultural heritage sites during war, including the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
UNESCO was informed of the damage by Iran’s cultural ministry in a Monday letter, noting damage to the Golestan Palace and the Grand Bazaar of Tehran. It specifically noted “sustained structural and decorative damage” to the Golestan Palace.
Iran is the inheritor of one of the oldest civilizations in the world, stretching back thousands of years. It has 29 proscribed UNESCO World Heritage sites — 27 cultural and two natural.
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The damage came as part of the largest U.S. naval and air campaign since the 2003 Iraq War. The U.S. has used nearly every aircraft and munition in its arsenal to decapitate and degrade Iran, targeting both military, security, and political installations.
The opening strike of the conflict killed the former supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday.