Message from Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage to the Director-General of UNESCO on the Serious Threat to Iran’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Following Attacks by the Israeli Regime

Ms. Audrey Azoulay
Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Dear Ms. Azoulay,

The Islamic Republic of Iran has more than 40,000 cultural and natural properties registered on its national heritage list. In addition, millions of historical and cultural objects and artefacts are housed in more than 850 museums distributed across 780 historic cities and thousands of historic villages throughout Iran. All these properties fall within the definition of “cultural property” set out in the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (the Hague Convention and its Additional Protocols), to which Iran is a signatory. A significant proportion of these properties and museums are located in areas that have recently been exposed to threats and military attacks by the Israeli regime.

Furthermore, Iran is a State Party to UNESCO’s 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Iran has registered a considerable number of its cultural and natural properties on UNESCO’s Tentative List. In addition, more than 100 sites across Iran have been inscribed on the World Heritage List through 28 nominations. At present, most of Iran’s registered heritage properties; including 54 Iranian caravanserais, the Trans-Iranian Railway, the Hyrcanian Forests, the Persian Qanats and Persian Gardens dating from various historical and cultural periods as well as nationally registered heritage properties, are under serious threat as a result of the armed conflict initiated by the Israeli regime.

In view of the above, the Islamic Republic of Iran calls upon UNESCO, as an intergovernmental organization committed and mandated to support and protect national and world heritage within international frameworks, to take the following legal, protective and preventive measures:

1. Issue a statement setting out UNESCO’s position on refraining from any direct or indirect attacks on Iran’s national and world heritage and surrounding areas, in accordance with UNESCO’s international commitments concerning cultural property under the 1954 Hague Convention and its Additional Protocols, and the protection of world cultural and natural heritage under the 1972 Convention.
2. Issue a strong warning to the Israeli regime within the framework of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, its implementing procedures and Additional Protocols, and the communications undertaken regarding the need to protect, safeguard and respect all Iranian cultural property in accordance with the “principle of respect for cultural property.” This principle emphasizes the obligation of States Parties to respect and protect cultural property and its surrounding areas, ensuring that such heritage is not damaged, destroyed or devastated in the event of war, and prohibiting any hostile acts against Iran’s cultural property.
3. Immediately adopt legal and preventive measures within the framework of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347 (2017), concerning the importance of protecting cultural heritage in conflict zones, and employ diplomatic mediation and relevant legal measures to prevent threats to Iran’s cultural heritage as part of humanity’s identity and as a resource for peace and development, as emphasized in the resolution, while taking into account the responsibilities of States, the United Nations and its specialized agencies under the provisions of the resolution.
4. Immediately implement legal, protective and preventive measures within the framework of the 1972 Convention, particularly:

   4.1. Immediate action under Article 6(3) of the Convention: “Each State Party to this Convention undertakes not to take any deliberate measures which might damage directly or indirectly the cultural and natural heritage referred to in Articles 1 and 2 situated on the territory of other States Parties to this Convention.” This provision should be invoked to warn against any direct or indirect action by the Israeli regime or members of the international community that could harm cultural and natural heritage.

   4.2. Convene the Intergovernmental Committee under the 1972 Convention and adopt the necessary preventive measures to ensure that Iran’s cultural and natural heritage covered by the Convention is not exposed to danger.

It is essential to emphasize that the hostile Israeli regime’s disregard for its moral and international obligations in recent days has raised widespread national and international concerns regarding the protection of Iran’s cultural property and the world’s cultural and natural heritage. This situation underscores the urgent need for immediate preventive action by the international community and international organizations, particularly UNESCO.

Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri
Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts
Islamic Republic of Iran