To UNESCO, Blue Shield International, ICOMOS, ICOM, ICCROM, OWHC, and the international archaeological and cultural heritage community

We, the undersigned researchers, archaeologists, architects, historians, museum professionals, conservators, cultural heritage specialists, and members of the wider scholarly community, express our profound alarm at the damage inflicted on cultural heritage sites in Iran (https://whc.unesco.org/fr/etatsparties/ir) during the ongoing US and Israeli war against Iran that began on 28 February 2026.

According to official figures released by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran, more than 131 archaeological sites, museums, and historical buildings in Iran have been damaged. The highest concentration of damage has been recorded in Tehran, where 61 sites were affected.

The scale and geographical spread of these losses are deeply alarming. Among the damaged sites in Tehran are Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage property (Date of Inscription: 2013, Dossier: 1422 https://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/1422/), the historical citadel of Tehran, the historical Tehran Bazaar, Marble Palace, the historical Police Headquarters building, the former Senate building, Sepahsalar Mosque, and the Farahabad Palace Museum. In Kurdistan Province, affected monuments include Salar Saeed Mansion, now housing the Sanandaj Archaeological Museum, Khosroabad Museum and Asif Vaziri Mansion. In Isfahan Province, damage has been reported at the Naqsh-e Jahan Square complex (Date of Inscription: 1979, Dossier: 115: https://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/115/, Chehel Sotoun Palace, the Abbasi Friday Mosque, and parts of the historical urban fabric of the city. Other reported cases include Falak ol Aflak Fort in Lorestan (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1744/), Tekyeh Biglarbeigi and the historic Kazazi School in Kermanshah, Sabzabad Mansion and the historic White House in the port of Siraf (https://whc.unesco.org/fr/listesindicatives/5195/ in Bushehr Province, and the Darreh Shahr Archaeological Museum in Ilam.

These sites, monuments, and historical buildings span a remarkable chronological range, from Late Antiquity (the Sasanian period) to the nineteenth century. Many of them are internationally known for their historical, architectural, and cultural significance. They represent not only the rich and diverse heritage of Iranian civilization, but also an irreplaceable part of the shared cultural legacy of humanity.

That such a scale of damage and destruction could occur within only thirty days of war is both shocking and profoundly alarming. The reported impact on so many important sites, including globally recognized monuments and historic urban areas, demonstrates the extreme vulnerability of cultural heritage in times of conflict. These losses are not merely material. They affect collective memory, cultural identity and the historical record shared across generations.

We therefore call for immediate and public action.

We call upon UNESCO, the aforementioned international organizations and other relevant international bodies to:

Publicly condemn all attacks that have damaged or endangered cultural heritage sites in Iran.

Urgently assess and document the damage to affected museums, monuments, archaeological sites, and historical urban areas through independent professional evaluation and international monitoring.

Strengthen emergency protection measures for endangered heritage sites and take all possible steps to prevent further destruction.

Press all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international law and to refrain from any attack or endangerment of cultural property.

Support cultural heritage professionals, museums, and local institutions in emergency stabilization, conservation planning, and post-conflict recovery.

The protection of cultural heritage must remain a universal responsibility, especially in times of war. Silence and inaction risk enabling irreversible destruction before it is too late. We urge UNESCO and the broader international heritage community to respond now, clearly, publicly, and without delay.

More information about these damages can be found in the following news reports:

1-Science: https://www.science.org/content/article/iran-s-internet-shutdown-muddies-global-efforts-track-damage-historical-sites

2-CAMEL: https://camel-heritage-watch.lovable.app/

3-Radio France: https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/l-info-culturelle-reportages-enquetes-analyses/en-iran-le-patrimoine-mondial-en-peril-4-sites-classes-par-l-unesco-ont-deja-subi-de-lourds-degats-2116722
4-RFI: https://www.rfi.fr/fr/podcasts/invit%C3%A9-international/20260313-patrimoine-iranien-les-lieux-ne-sont-pas-vis%C3%A9s-directement-ce-sont-des-dommages-collat%C3%A9raux

5-Unesco: https://www.unesco.org/fr/articles/moyen-orient-lunesco-deploie-ses-premieres-mesures-durgence-face-lescalade-de-violence?hub=701

6- Unesco: https://www.unesco.org/fr/articles/lunesco-reitere-sa-profonde-preoccupation-quant-la-protection-de-leducation-de-la-culture-des-medias

7- Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/17/are-the-us-and-israel-waging-war-on-irans-cultural-heritage

8-Deutsche Welle: https://www.dw.com/en/us-israeli-strikes-damage-irans-cultural-heritage-sites/a-76350565

9-NPR: https://www.wmuk.org/npr-news/2026-03-20/irans-cultural-heritage-sites-are-being-damaged-by-american-and-israeli-strikes

10- The Art Newspaper: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/03/25/we-are-trying-to-preserve-the-memory-of-our-people-archaeologists-create-map-tracking-damage-to-iran-heritage-sites?fbclid=IwY2xjawQz3iFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBYeVh3Y1B1QjBZWWVMVkZ6c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmn-eadt84tsZQKN1KD_RHXYgYWJ6QrI8oQH6KucAga-O2x5XWBj5WDwLfw4_aem_MzXF6vHsHpVXKATlMkaKkg

11- UNESCO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AHTFqNgvws

12- THE BLUE SHIELD: https://uscbs.org/statement-iran-conflict-cultural-heritage-march-2026/
 13-https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/monuments-under-fire-in-iran

14-https://en.yenisafak.com/world/iran-says-114-cultural-heritage-sites-damaged-in-us-israeli-strikes-3716225