In a joint emergency letter addressed to the director-general of the body, Ahmad Pakatchi and Rinat Alyautdinov, the permanent representatives of Iran and Russia, voiced their protest to UNESCO in a joint letter regarding the harmful effects of missile strikes on civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage in Tehran.

Following US-Israeli missile attacks on April 1, 2026, the area adjacent to the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Tehran was targeted.

Designed by prominent Russian architect Nikolai Markov and registered on Iran’s National Heritage List, this historic building has suffered serious structural damage.

The incident occurred during the holy season of Great Lent and on the eve of Easter, which doubles the religious significance of this site for its followers, the letter reads.

The intensity of the explosions caused widespread shattering of windows and destruction of the doors of this religious building, it added.

Additionally, the building adjacent to the cathedral, which operates as the Russian nursing home, has suffered severe damage, including the collapse of part of its roof, it noted.

Pakatchi and Alyautdinov emphasized in their joint letter that targeting areas adjacent to cultural sites and civilian humanitarian infrastructure constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the 1954 Hague Convention.

Condemning the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran, the diplomats warned that these attacks endanger the cultural identity and sustainable peace in the region.

Iran and Russia called on the UNESCO director-general to officially condemn these actions, support international efforts to prevent further destruction of cultural property, and prevent the decline of the region’s religious and historical heritage.

The US and the Israeli regime launched their joint military aggression on Iran on February 28, following their previous war in June last year. Both conflicts were launched as Tehran was in the midst of diplomatic talks with Washington over its peaceful nuclear program.

Earlier, Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has declared that at least 56 museums, historic buildings and cultural sites across the country were damaged following US-Israeli military attacks, describing the move as a crime against Iran’s historical identity and humanity’s shared heritage.