Reference News Network, March 15 report: According to a report by the Associated Press on March 12, the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran damaged at least four cultural and historical sites, including palaces and an ancient mosque. This has raised concerns that the expanding war might affect protected landmarks—important to Iranians' sense of identity and world history.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) confirmed that the damaged buildings include the luxurious Golestan Palace from the Qajar dynasty in Tehran, the 17th-century Forty Pillars Palace, and one of Iran's oldest mosques, the Friday Mosque, both located in Isfahan. It was confirmed that historical sites near the Khorramabad Valley were also damaged, including five prehistoric caves and a rock shelter where human habitation traces dating back more than 60,000 years were found.

Video shot by the Associated Press on March 3 showed that in the Golestan Palace, shattered glass from the mirrored ceiling covered the floor, arches were damaged, windows were blown out, and broken decorative lines lay scattered under the mosaic walls.

The speed and extent of the destruction of historical sites have caused great concern for Iran and Lebanon, which have requested this week that UNESCO add more sites to its list of those needing enhanced protection.

For decades, collateral damage to historical sites has been part of the norm in wars. The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, said this week: "Everyone is clear about what is happening: in these increasingly modern conflicts, it is civilians who pay the price, it is civilian infrastructure that pays the price, and we all see irreplaceable historical heritage being destroyed."

Human rights advocates expressed the same concerns. They warned that the war in Iran not only took the lives of more than 1,000 people but also destroyed social institutions and historical sites that people relied on.

Bonnie Docherty, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "The harm to civilians occurs because their history is being destroyed or demolished, and this history is important to the world, to a specific region, or a group. The damage to historical sites undermines the shared identity of local communities, which is often key to uniting people."

Araz Aziz grew up in Iran and later moved to the United States. He said that when he was a child, because his family couldn't afford to travel abroad, they visited historical sites across Iran. He said that through this, he came to understand his cultural identity and history.

This 38-year-old New Yorker said: "When students are killed, when lives are at stake, when risks are high, people may think, what is a few pieces of broken tiles or glass?"

He added: "I think this attitude is wrong. We need a cultural context. We need to know who we are and where we come from."

It remains unclear whether the damage was caused by U.S. or Israeli air strikes. The Pentagon did not make a comment. The Israeli Defense Forces said they were "unaware" of UNESCO's claim that historical sites had been damaged.

The non-profit organization International Blue Shield, which focuses on protecting heritage in conflicts, disasters, and crises, pointed out that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that the U.S. war policy would not include "silly rules of engagement."

Patty Gestenblith, chair of the International Blue Shield U.S. Committee, said: "This is an extremely important statement, because these rules of engagement reflect international humanitarian law, which protects not only cultural heritage but also all civilians and buildings, including hospitals, schools, and so on."

The affected sites belong to nearly 30 Iranian sites designated for special protection in UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The organization's World Heritage Committee annually designates sites of outstanding universal value and intervenes when they face destruction or damage. (Translated by Ge Xuele)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7617391798084534799/

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