UNESCO Warns of Damage to Iran’s Historic Sites After Strikes

Paris/Tehran, April 16, 2026 - UNESCO has issued a fresh warning over the damage inflicted on Iran's priceless cultural heritage sites amid ongoing US and Israeli military strikes, urging all parties to respect international law and protect the region's irreplaceable historical treasures.

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The UN cultural agency confirmed that at least four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Iran have already sustained damage from shockwaves, debris, and nearby explosions. Affected landmarks include the iconic Golestan Palace in Tehran - often compared to France's Palace of Versailles - as well as the 17th-century Chehel Sotoun Palace, the ancient Masjed-e Jame (Friday Mosque), and other sites in Isfahan. Iranian authorities report that over 50 additional cultural sites, museums, and historic buildings have been impacted.

UNESCO Director of the World Heritage Centre, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, expressed deep concern, stating that heritage sites are becoming "collateral damage" in the conflict. The agency noted that it had previously shared the precise geographical coordinates of all protected sites with the involved parties to help avoid such damage, in line with the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

"These sites belong not only to Iran but to the entire world," a UNESCO statement emphasized. The organization has called on all belligerents to take every feasible precaution to safeguard cultural heritage during hostilities.

The warnings come as the fragile US-Iran ceasefire remains under strain following the collapse of talks in Islamabad and the ongoing U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has accused the strikes of deliberately targeting or endangering its civilizational legacy, while the conflict continues to threaten additional World Heritage properties across the country.

UNESCO has also expressed concern for cultural sites in Israel, Lebanon, and other parts of the Middle East affected by the wider regional tensions. Experts warn that further escalation could lead to irreversible loss of humanity's shared history.