More than 200 cultural figures have urged governments and international bodies to confront the damage done to Iran’s heritage during the US-Israeli strikes, saying the destruction may amount to violations of international law.
The joint statement, circulated by the Society of Iranian Archaeology, argues that the attacks caused “irreversible damage” to cultural property and that states have failed to meet their obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. It also criticizes what the signatories describe as a muted response from institutions that should have acted more decisively as reports of damage accumulated.
The statement follows a separate legal letter signed by more than 100 US-based international law experts, who said the strikes on Iran violated the United Nations Charter and raised “serious concerns” about possible breaches of international humanitarian law, including war crimes. That letter focused on US conduct while also addressing the Iranian government’s treatment of its own citizens and neighboring countries.
Since the strikes began on February 28 and were later halted under a ceasefire, more than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran, according to the country’s forensic chief. The new statement says more than 130 registered Unesco and national monuments and museums were damaged, alongside historic urban areas and archaeological sites. It cites direct hits, including Tehran’s Senate Palace, as well as destruction caused by bombardment in heritage-rich districts.
The signatories also singled out political rhetoric from US defense secretary Pete Hegseth, calling his remark that US forces would not be constrained by “stupid rules of engagement” deeply alarming.
Mehrnoush Soroush, an assistant professor of Landscape Archaeology at the University of Chicago and a representative of the group behind the statement, said the response reflects growing frustration among specialists who see international institutions as too slow to act. “We are witnessing a moment where the violator is a powerful actor, and international institutions appear reluctant to do their job,” she said.
Unesco has acknowledged damage to several World Heritage Sites in Iran, including Golestan Palace in Tehran, the Chehel Sotoun building of the Persian Garden in Isfahan, the Jame Mosque of Isfahan, and sites near the Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley. The organization has said it shared site coordinates with all parties and reiterated calls to respect international conventions protecting cultural heritage.
The statement also calls for postwar heritage assessment and restoration support for Iran, Lebanon, and other affected countries, framing preservation not as a secondary concern but as part of the legal and moral aftermath of war.
