The Iran War’s Toll on Persian Cultural Heritage

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The United States should make every effort to assure Iranians that it is not deliberately targeting their country’s national monuments.

Tehran’s Golestan Palace has stood as a testament to Persian power and artistic brilliance for over four centuries, surviving dynasties, revolution, and decades of upheaval. Damaged by shockwaves from nearby airstrikes, it now stands as an early casualty of a widening Iran War.

As the war enters its second month, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promise to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Age” unless it capitulates. The conflict has already damaged Iran’s cultural landmarks, from Golestan Palace, Falak-ol-Aflak Castle, and Chechel Sotoun Palace, to other architectural treasures in Isfahan dating back to the 16th century. The devastation is as consequential as the indiscriminate bombing of homes and schools. 

The scale of devastation has drawn condemnation from UNESCO and many experts, urging all parties to uphold international conventions on cultural property. Under international law, including the 1954 Hague Convention, such sites are explicitly protected during armed conflict. Yet the question remains: are these merely incidents of collateral damage or deliberate calculation? 

According to Isfahan’s governor, Mehdi Jamalinejad, “This is a declaration of war on a civilization. An enemy that has no culture pays no heed to symbols of culture. A country that has no history has no respect for signs of history.”

There is no definitive evidence to suggest that the damage wrought on cultural landmarks by the US and Israeli campaign was intentional. Nonetheless, the Department of Defense’s new, watered-down rules of engagement, as well as historical precedent, make such a possibility difficult to dismiss outright. 

From ancient empires to modern militaries, invaders have engaged in........

© The National Interest