Shafaqna English- The deputy cultural heritage minister reports that 149 historical sites across 18 provinces were damaged during the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, with damages estimated at over 75 trillion rials.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, ahead of International Museum Day and Cultural Heritage Week, Ali Darabi stated that the strikes damaged 54 museums, seven historical areas, and five nationally registered heritage sites.
Darabi noted that the affected sites include 70 in Tehran, 13 in Khorasan Province, five in Kermanshah, four in Lorestan, three in Qom, and two in Bushehr.
“The scale of the damage inflicted on cultural heritage is estimated at more than 7.5 hemats, and this figure exceeds the budget of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts,” he said.
He added that some of Iran’s historical artifacts are stored in military museums, but restrictions have so far prevented officials from assessing potential damage there.
Darabi mentioned that Iran has sent over 17 letters to international organizations, including UNESCO and ICESCO, to raise awareness of the damage.
According to Darabi, UNESCO has announced it will send a representative to Iran to inspect the destruction and estimate losses once flights resume.
He also stated that no historical objects were damaged because artifacts had been transferred to secure storage facilities.
Sources: IRNA