Iran Plans Legal Action Over Damaged Heritage Sites

(MENAFN) Iranian officials say Tehran intends to file legal cases against the United States and Israel over damage caused to cultural and historical locations during recent military strikes.

A ceasefire that took effect in early April after weeks of escalating confrontation between the sides remains in place, although indirect negotiations have reportedly stalled as both Tehran and Washington continue to reject each other’s conditions.

In a statement shared on social media Sunday, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said bombardments carried out by the US and Israel damaged at least 149 historical sites and museums across 20 provinces, including five locations listed by UNESCO.

According to the official, Tehran “will register, document, and pursue this assault on its cultural heritage within the framework of international responsibility; for it will allow no power to sacrifice the history of the great Iranian nation to its military and political objectives of today.”

He also stressed that international agreements, including the 1954 Hague Convention and broader humanitarian law principles, require the protection of cultural landmarks during armed conflicts.

“Iran’s cultural heritage is not merely a national asset of the Iranian people; it is part of humanity’s shared memory,” Gharibabadi said.

Iran, historically linked to the ancient Persian civilization and the Achaemenid Empire established in 550 BC, is considered one of the world’s oldest and most influential cultural centers.

The deputy minister further described the strikes on historical locations as “a clear manifestation of the lawless behavior of the American regime and the Zionist regime.”

Iran’s Culture Ministry had previously estimated that restoration work for the damaged heritage locations could cost nearly 70 trillion rials, equivalent to around $39 million, according to reports.

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