Tehran – The coalition of 51 non-governmental organizations dedicated to cultural heritage and tourism has sent a formal letter to UNESCO Director Audrey Azurey, condemning Israeli airstrikes on Iran and warning of their serious threats to the country’s non-profitable cultural and historic sites.
Letters signed by renowned organisations that include the Fars’s Traditional Arts Association, the Iranian History and Heritage Association, the Caseroon Cultural Heritage Supporters Association, the Iranian Collectors Association, the Iranian Architectural Masters Association, and the Iranian Tourism Association appealing to the capabilities of the Iranian Tourism Association with global capabilities and capabilities.
Citing international legal frameworks such as the armed conflict, the World Heritage Convention of 1972, and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the case of 2017 UN Security Council Resolution 2347, the letter emphasizes that military actions that damage historical monuments, cultural sites, or natural heritage constitute a fierce violation of the obligations and human rights of the invasion states.
The NGO highlights that Iran hosts a number of valuable heritage sites that have been registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as a cradle of some of the brightest civilizations in the world. Since June 13, 2025, Israeli forces have launched repeated, widespread air force raids targeting Iranian cities rich in historic buildings and artifacts over the centuries. The letter refers to the bombing as a source of serious concern near the UNESCO-registered Bisotun archaeological site in western Iran.
In light of these developments, Iranian civil society organisations are urging UNESCO to publicly condemn these irresponsible attacks and to issue official warnings to the Israeli regime.
They also ask UNESCO to adopt a binding international enforcement mechanism that involves referring to the issue to the UN Security Council if such cases recur, and to quickly deploy the oversight committee and team of experts to Iran. The goal is to prevent the repeated cultural tragedy seen in other conflict zones.
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