Iran Urges UNESCO to Protect Historical Sites From ’Israeli’ Aggression

By Staff, Agencies

In the letter, Salehi-Amiri has highlighted the responsibility of UNESCO and the international community to preserve irreplaceable global treasures, citing the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

"In addition to the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage to prevent damage to Iran’s invaluable historical and natural sites," he said.

Iran, the minister said, has more than 40,000 nationally registered monuments and 28 World Heritage Sites, including more than 100 historical, natural, and cultural sites.

More than 50 other monuments are also on UNESCO's tentative list for World Heritage registration.

Iran also warned that delays in UNESCO’s response could lead to irreversible damage to its World Heritage sites, stressing that many of these monuments are under direct and indirect threat.

“We are aware that the Director-General of UNESCO has conveyed this issue as a warning to the Zionist entity,” Salehi-Amiri said when asked about UNESCO's action regarding Iran's letter and the necessity of protecting Iran's historical and cultural monuments.