TEHRAN – Iran’s Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage has confirmed that no damage has been reported to the country’s museums or historic assets during the recent 12-day war with Israel.
Ali Dharabi said on Tuesday that despite the violent military attacks by Israel, Iran’s historical sites and museum collections remain unharmed despite subsequent involvement by the US, despite the US.
“From the early hours of the hostile attacks of the Zionist regime, emergency protocols have been issued to protect museum collections and cultural locations,” Dharabi said.
He added that precautions include relocating artifacts to protect storage facilities, enhanced security and safety protocols, and the deployment of protection personnel.
According to Darabi, all museums, historical monuments and cultural heritage sites across the country were temporarily closed following an outbreak of hostilities. Their reopening was decided by the state’s local security boards in accordance with the evolving security assessment.
Dharabi also noted that Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, has officially worked on the UNESCO Director and called for the invigoration of all legal and diplomatic mechanisms to prevent harm to Iranian cultural heritage during the crisis.
“Fortunately, we have not seen any physical damage so far, but the ongoing crimes by the US and its occupyers raise serious concerns about the potential risks to Iran’s irreplaceable cultural heritage,” warned Dharabi.
Also, a group of experts at Iranian museums issued a powerful and urgent statement denounced what they describe as a clear violation of international law and the systematic destruction of cultural and human heritage by the Zionist regime.
The statement released on Sunday reflects deep concerns from Iranian cultural managers about the human and cultural costs of war, describing the situation as a moral and historical crisis that demands immediate global attention and condemnation.
“These bitter days, as guardians of Iran’s cultural and historical heritage, are forcing us to speak out against widespread human rights violations and directly harm our national heritage,” the group wrote. They highlighted the destruction of private sites and the targets of cultural institutions, including museums and historic crafts.
The group warned that several Iranian museums have either been forced to close or are currently operating under the constant threat of bombing.
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