Iran’s ancient cultural sites face growing threats from war, environmental damage, and limited preservation resources, putting irreplaceable parts of humanity’s shared historical heritage at risk.

U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have damaged at least four cultural and historical sites, including palaces and an ancient mosque, raising alarms about the impact of the widening war on protected landmarks that are important to Iranian identity and world history.

The United Nations cultural body Unesco has called on warring parties in the Middle East to respect international conventions protecting cultural property after Iran’s heritage-listed Golestan

Last week, Tehran’s Unesco-listed Golestan Palace was damaged by shockwaves from a nearby US-Israeli air strike. Footage posted online showed its ornate windows shattered, its intricate tile-work in

Milk traces in pottery and teeth show goat and sheep dairy was used in Iran 9,000 years ago, among the earliest evidence of milk use.

The satellite images show damage to sites including the Choqa Balk-e drone facility and former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's compound​.