Iran Urges UNESCO’s Action amid Israeli Aggression

IQNA – Iran sent an official request to UNESCO, calling for urgent action by the international organization to protect its cultural and natural heritage from threats posed by the Zionist regime’s military aggression.

Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri sent the request.

Citing the 1954 Hague Convention (Protection of Cultural Property in Time of War) and the 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Heritage, he emphasizes the responsibility of UNESCO and the international community to preserve these unparalleled treasures.

According to official statistics, Iran is home to more than 40,000 nationally registered sites and 28 World Heritage Sites, including more than 100 historical, natural, and cultural sites, he said.

These include Iran’s historic caravanserais (54 World Heritage Sites), the national railway, the Hyrcanian forests, Iranian aqueducts, and historic gardens and more than 50 other sites are on UNESCO's tentative list for World Heritage, he noted.

These works, which are recognized as the common heritage of humanity, will challenge not only Iran’s historical memory, but also the world's civilizational identity, in the event of any destruction or damage, he stressed.

Salehi Amiri called on UNESCO to issue a formal statement underlining the need for protection of Iran’s cultural and natural heritage, take practical measures to protect cultural heritage, establish an emergency intergovernmental committee to assess the situation in Iran, inform the international community about any hostile act against the cultural heritage of Iran and formally warn the Zionist regime to respect cultural properties.

He warned that given the record of the Israeli regime’s violation of international laws, norms and convention, any delay in UNESCO’s action could lead to irreparable consequences for world heritage.

The Israeli regime waged an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran on June 13, carrying out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear, military and residential sites that resulted in the martyrdom of scores of top military commanders, nuclear scientists and ordinary citizens.

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