Iran accuses US and Israeli strikes of damaging at least 120 museums and historic buildings, including UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace.
TEHRAN: US and Israeli strikes on Iran have damaged at least 120 culturally or historically significant sites across the country since the start of the war.
The head of Tehran city council’s heritage committee, Ahmad Alavi, made the claim.
“At least 120 museums, historical buildings and cultural sites across various provinces were directly targeted and sustained serious structural damage,” said Alavi.
He was quoted by state TV as naming several prominent sites.
These include the UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace, Tehran’s Marble Palace, Teymourtash house and Saadabad Palace. The Saadabad Palace complex is one of the capital’s most visited sites.
It includes an extensive park and museums dedicated to Iranian history. The complex also houses the residences of the Iranian president and governor of Tehran province.
The United States and Israel launched their campaign against Iran on February 28. The war has since embroiled practically all of the Middle East.
Iran possesses significant cultural heritage that has largely been spared from mass tourism. According to the UN, at least four of the country’s 29 UNESCO-listed sites have been damaged.
The damaged UNESCO sites are Golestan Palace, Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan, the Masjed-e Jame mosque, and the prehistoric sites of the Khorramabad Valley.
