Damage not only comes from direct hits, but from shockwaves and nearby strikes, forces that can still cause irreversible damage to fragile, historic materials. Across Iran, damage has been reported at major cultural landmarks including 30 universities and 55 libraries, Golestan Palace, Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, Chehel Sotoun Palace, and the wider historic fabric of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, as well as archaeological sites such as the Khorramabad Valley.
Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts, said on 5 April 2026 that “during these attacks, 131 historical sites across the country were damaged, with the greatest losses registered in Tehran.” Beyond UNESCO-listed properties, nationally significant sites including Falak-ol-Aflak Castle and the Grand Bazaar of Tehran have also been affected, alongside religious landmarks such as the Rafi'-Nia Synagogue in Tehran, reported destroyed in recent strikes on April 7 2026.
The protection of cultural heritage during conflict is codified under international law. Yet recent reports have raised urgent concern among global heritage bodies, with UNESCO warning that landmarks of “outstanding universal value” are increasingly at risk.
“A deliberate attack on identity”
Inside Golestan Palace, the scale of damage has been described in stark terms. Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Reza Salehi Amiri, characterised the strikes as “a deliberate and conscious attack” on the nation’s cultural identity, speaking to Al Jazeera.
“We are not talking about stone and mortar… we are talking about the memory and history of a people,” Amiri said in an interview on 1 April, standing amid damaged interiors.
The ministry has recorded damage to at least 56 museums and historical monuments, a figure that continues to rise as assessments progress. UNESCO has separately confirmed that multiple World Heritage Sites across Tehran, Isfahan and western Iran have been affected.
Damage to UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Among the most high-profile cases is Golestan Palace, a Qajar-era complex recognised for its fusion of Persian craftsmanship and European influence. Reports and images show shattered glasswork, damaged façade and the loss of intricate mirrored interiors that are central elements to its architectural and Iranian national identity.
In Isfahan, attention has focused on two major UNESCO-listed landmarks: the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, described by UNESCO as a “living museum” of Islamic architecture and Chehel Sotoun Palace, part of the Persian Gardens inscription. Further west, the Khorramabad Valley home to some of the earliest evidence of human habitation has also been flagged by UNESCO as an area of concern.
The limits of restoration and a failure to protect
While emergency assessments continue, conservation experts warn that the damage cannot simply be reversed. “Restoration… can never return an artefact to its starting point,” Amiri said in his interview with Al Jazeera. This position is echoed by international heritage bodies such as Blue Shield International, which has long warned that damage to cultural sites constitutes not only physical destruction but the erosion of human history.
The targeting of these sites has led to a fierce debate over international humanitarian law. Under the 1954 Hague Convention to which the United States, Israel and Iran are all signatories, parties are obligated to refrain from acts of hostility directed against cultural property. UNESCO has confirmed that it shared the geographic coordinates of World Heritage sites in advance, in line with established protection protocols. Despite this, damage has continued.
Amiri, speaking again to Al Jazeera, condemned what he described as international inaction, arguing that the failure to prevent these strikes signals a breakdown in the system designed to safeguard cultural heritage during conflict. He described the response as “a total collapse of the moral and legal rules” governing these protections.
Beyond UNESCO: A wider cultural loss
While UNESCO sites have drawn the most attention, the damage extends far beyond them. More than 100 cultural and historical sites, including museums, religious buildings and historic residences are reported to have been affected across the country, according to international coverage.
Cultural heritage is often framed as secondary in times of conflict. Yet as Amiri’s remarks make clear, its destruction carries consequences that extend far beyond architecture. What is being lost is the physical record of identity, culture and human history. As the situation evolves, the truth is that once these sites are damaged or destroyed, they cannot be fully recovered.
