The Iran Heritage Foundation extends its sympathies to the people of Iran in these difficult times and is deeply concerned by reports of damage to cultural and historical sites in the country. Cultural treasures are protected under the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict as well as the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest and richest civilisations, with a cultural legacy that spans millennia and belongs not only to the people of Iran but also to the shared heritage of humanity.

The protection of cultural heritage in times of conflict must remain a universal responsibility and an essential duty owed to future generations.