Nournews: When missiles strike, it is not only buildings that collapse; sometimes the history of a nation, the memory of civilizations, and the shared heritage of humanity are buried under the rubble of war. In the course of the U.S. and Israeli regime’s imposed war against Iran, known as the “Ramadan War,” it was not only infrastructure and urban areas that were targeted this time, but Iran’s historical identity was hit by waves of explosions and attacks—attacks that are explicitly prohibited under international law.
According to published statistics, at least 149 historical sites across 20 provinces in Iran have been damaged, ranging from palaces and museums to UNESCO-registered sites and historic urban fabrics. Among them, 54 museums were damaged, seven historic urban areas were affected, and five World Heritage sites were put at risk. Additionally, 74 historical sites suffered damage from blast waves, 42 sites were harmed within the attack zones, and 33 sites sustained direct damage. These figures indicate that the scope of destruction went beyond military targets, striking at the very identity of Iran’s civilization.
Tehran bore the heaviest losses with 70 damaged historical sites, followed by Isfahan with 27 sites, Kurdistan and Khuzestan with 13 each, Kermanshah with five, Lorestan with four, and Qom with three. These statistics reveal that a significant portion of Iran’s historical identity across the country is under direct threat.
Among the most important damaged sites are landmarks that are part of Iran’s and the world’s historical memory: Golestan Palace and Marble Palace in Tehran, Naqsh-e Jahan Square and Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan, Salar Saeed Mansion in Kurdestan, Biglar Beigi Tekyeh in Kermanshah, and Falak-ol-Aflak Castle in Lorestan are among the key sites harmed in these attacks.
The main question arises: if UNESCO laws and international conventions are not enforced during such times, what is their very purpose? More than two months have passed since these attacks, yet no practical, deterrent, or effective measures have been taken by UNESCO or other institutions claiming to protect the world’s cultural heritage. No independent fact-finding committee has been formed, no serious legal cases have been initiated against the perpetrators, and not even a clear mechanism for compensation has been presented.
This silence is not merely diplomatic inertia; it is a clear discrediting of organizations that have, for years, claimed a global role under the slogan “protecting human heritage.” The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict explicitly prohibits attacks on cultural and historical sites. Similarly, UNESCO’s 1972 World Heritage Convention obliges states and the international community to protect sites of global significance. Article 53 of the First Protocol to the Geneva Conventions also regards any hostile act against cultural and historical sites as a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
Yet, what the world witnesses today is not the enforcement of law but the dominance of double standards. The same organizations that quickly react to damage to certain global heritage sites now limit themselves to neutral statements and ceremonial positions in the face of destruction of Iran’s cultural heritage. This behavior reinforces the suspicion that international laws are only valid as long as they do not challenge the interests of major powers.
International law experts believe that targeting historical sites, whether intentional or due to blatant disregard for the principles of war, can constitute a war crime. However, neither the UN Security Council has acted, nor has the International Criminal Court responded effectively, nor has UNESCO been able to act beyond expressing concern. This silence effectively sends a green light for such attacks to be repeated in the future.
Cultural heritage does not belong to a single country; it is part of humanity’s shared memory. When domes crack, tiles fall, and historic walls tremble under the blast waves, it is not only Iran that suffers—part of the world’s history is wounded. If today UNESCO’s laws are buried under the rubble of war, tomorrow no heritage site anywhere in the world will be safe.
Nournews