The Embassy of Iran in Cyprus has issued a formal press release alleging that joint aerial attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on Tehran in the winter of 2026 caused serious damage to some of Iran's most significant cultural and historical sites.
According to the statement, the intensity of explosions around Arg Square and Golestan Palace was sufficient to damage parts of both historic sites despite protective measures that had been put in place. The embassy further alleges that the destruction was not confined to the capital, with cultural and historical sites across multiple provinces sustaining damage, including Isfahan, Kurdistan, West and East Azerbaijan, Lorestan, Ilam, Bushehr and Kermanshah.
A systematic assault on national identity, Iran says
The press release frames the alleged targeting of cultural sites as more than physical destruction, describing it as a deliberate attempt to harm national sentiment and undermine Iran's collective historical memory. The embassy contends that the pattern of damage across the country's geography suggests a coordinated effort to erase cultural identity on a wide scale.
Specific sites referenced in the statement include Golestan Palace, a Unesco-listed monument in central Tehran, and Falak-ol-Aflak Castle. The embassy states that neither site has ever served a military purpose and therefore cannot constitute a legitimate military target under any applicable legal framework.
International law obligations
The statement sets out a detailed legal argument, citing several instruments of international humanitarian law that it says were violated. These include the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, particularly Articles 4 and 19, which require the protection of cultural property even during internal conflicts, as well as the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The embassy also references UN Security Council Resolution 2347, adopted in 2017, which it notes explicitly defines the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage as a criminal act, arguing that the attacks therefore constitute a serious offence not only against Iran but against the heritage of humanity as a whole.
A record for history
The press release describes itself as an introduction to a broader report documenting the extent of damage across Iran's provinces, and states that it is intended to convey the situation to the international community within the framework of international law. The embassy affirms that the Iranian authorities remain committed to restoring and preserving the affected sites.
Neither the United States nor Israel has commented on the specific allegations contained in the statement. The claims have not been independently verified.