A group comprising 30 Iranian non-governmental organizations and cultural heritage institutions has appealed to global entities, such as UNESCO, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), demanding immediate intervention to safeguard Iran's cultural legacy. This call follows damage inflicted upon historical locations during the recent military engagement between Iran and the combined forces of the United States and the Israeli regime.
In a joint declaration issued on Tuesday and subsequently reported by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, the coalition strongly denounced the damage to 132 historical monuments and sites spread across 18 provinces. These organizations framed the destruction of cultural assets as an assault on the shared memory of humankind and pressed international organizations to conduct investigations into the reported harm and ensure legal responsibility is established.
The appeal was formally directed towards the United Nations secretary-general, UNESCO, the ICC, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), Blue Shield International, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, as reported by ILNA on Monday.
The coalition stated that its data originated from documentation provided by Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, alongside media coverage and direct assessments conducted by members of specialized heritage groups. They specified that military actions occurring between February 28 and the early morning of April 8, 2026, resulted in significant damage to 132 historical buildings and monuments within 18 provinces.
This statement comes after an earlier notification from Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, which had previously indicated that 149 historical structures and buildings across 18 provinces had sustained damage during the recent hostilities. However, the ministry did not provide an explanation for the discrepancy between its initial count and the total presented by the NGOs.
The coalition highlighted that several monuments recognized internationally were among those affected, specifically mentioning the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Golestan Palace and Naqsh-e Jahan Square located in Isfahan. Furthermore, they listed Chehel Sotoun Palace, the Imam Mosque (Masjed-e Jameh Abbasi), Azadi Tower, Sepahsalar Mosque, the Tomb of Baba Taher, Falak-ol-Aflak Fortress, Safiabad Palace, and the Kuh-e Khajeh archaeological site as having suffered damage.
The organizations contended that targeting cultural property constitutes a breach of international humanitarian law, referencing the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its associated protocols. They asserted that intentional strikes against protected cultural property could qualify as war crimes under international statutes.
As concrete illustrations, the statement pointed to damage at the Art Research Institute of the Iranian Academy of Arts, a structure designed in 1931 by architect Nikolai Markov and previously serving as the residence of Professor Yahya Adl. The coalition emphasized that this building held no military purpose and was hit by a rocket, characterizing the event as a violation of the distinction principle outlined in Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions and the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention.
The declaration also referenced the destruction of the Rafi'zadeh Synagogue and the subsequent loss of historical Torah scrolls, arguing that this incident might violate Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2347 concerning the safeguarding of cultural heritage during armed conflict.
Moreover, the coalition urged international bodies to implement six immediate measures: deploying independent teams to document the damage, creating a legal framework for reconstruction and compensation, utilizing UNESCO's Heritage Emergency Fund for restoration financing, assisting international researchers in documenting oral histories related to the conflict, reinforcing the application of the Blue Shield International protection framework for vulnerable heritage, and preventing the illegal trade of Iranian cultural items through collaboration with Interpol and the World Customs Organization.
The coalition noted that copies of their statement were distributed to various international media outlets and academic and research institutions specializing in international law, archaeology, Iranian studies, and West Asian studies for thorough legal review. The signatories included numerous groups such as the Pishin Pazhouh Cultural and Artistic Institute, the Archaeological Society of Iran, and the Iran Heritage Organizations Network. They concluded by stressing that the destruction of cultural heritage signifies more than just physical harm; it represents an effort to erase humanity's collective memory, calling upon the global community to uphold its legal and ethical duties during wartime.
Recently, over forty million people participated in the farewell and burial ceremonies of the martyred leader of the Revolution, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, in five cities in Iran and Iraq: Tehran, Komeh, Mashhad, Najaf, and Karbala. These events were accompanied by deep emotions and slogans against America and Zionism.
Similar mass gatherings took place in many other cities in Iran, as well as in several countries, including Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, and India, although no official statistics on the total number of participants have been released. These events indicate a fundamental truth: the Islamic Revolution of Iran and its martyred leader have established a deep connection with the hearts of people around the world.
This article aims to explain the reasons for this sustained public support by analyzing three interconnected themes: the historical foundations of the Islamic Revolution, the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei, and the central role of science and technological development in preserving Iran's independence and resisting the hegemonic international order.
The Islamic Revolution of Iran occurred during a period when the world system was divided between two competing blocs of power: the Western bloc led by the United States and the Eastern bloc led by the Soviet Union. For centuries, the front of truth had few opportunities to manifest on the world stage. It was under these conditions that the Islamic Revolution of Iran, following a massive popular uprising in response to the call of Imam Khomeini, achieved victory.
The Revolution represented an independent alternative to both blocs. Inspired by the leadership of Imam Khomeini and guided by the slogan 'Neither East nor West, but the Islamic Republic,' the Revolution sought to establish a political system based on two key pillars: Islam as the ideological and legal basis of the state and the participation of the people as the foundation for creating, managing, and defending the political system. Essentially, the Revolution was realized based on the deep faith of the Iranian people in the Islam of Prophet Muhammad, Imam Ali, and Imam Hussein.
The first decade after the Revolution, under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, was dedicated to laying the foundations of the new political order and implementing and strengthening the values of the Islamic system. The significance of this decade lies in the fact that the Islamic Republic—understood as a system of governance based on the teachings of the Quran and Ahl al-Bayt—was established at a time when there was no previous model or practical precedent for such a system in the existing international order. Consequently, the development and institutionalization of this new model in the modern era are among the most significant and long-term achievements of Imam Khomeini.
Nevertheless, throughout this decade, the country faced numerous crises and difficulties, including the eight-year war of Saddam's regime with Iran.
After the death of Imam Khomeini, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei assumed leadership of the Islamic Republic for the subsequent thirty-seven years. During this period, the collapse of the Soviet Union transformed the world system into a predominantly unipolar order centered around the United States. This made the period particularly challenging for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This era also coincided with significant technological advancements in the West, as the United States and its Western allies actively promoted the concept of globalization. According to this view, globalization represented an American theoretical basis for cementing its dominance over the peoples of the world and establishing a modern form of hierarchical international order. This project was presented in an attractive manner to appeal to global public opinion, using modern technologies. However, beneath this attractive facade, characterized by an era of communication, closer interaction between nations, and the elimination of borders, lay a darker agenda aimed at promoting hegemonic goals.
These hidden characteristics included: undermining the cultural and national identities of peoples; weakening the religious and ideological foundations of societies; eliminating national borders in the face of Western cultural invasion; undermining the institution of the family; ridiculing stable moral values through the promotion of homosexuality, consumerism, and individual egoism; weakening the ties between nations and their governments while simultaneously creating dependence on the United States and Western culture; reducing population growth through the promotion of permissiveness, homosexuality, and choosing pets instead of having children.
In contrast, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Islamic Revolution promoted values such as genuine freedom, morality, spirituality, justice, national independence, rationality, brotherhood, the central role of the family, and the rejection of oppression and domination. These values are considered rooted in human nature and are therefore seen as timeless principles that remain relevant and attractive to people worldwide and across all generations.
Alongside promoting and strengthening these values, the martyred leader paid close attention to science, research, and technological development. He constantly emphasized the importance of scientific progress and research in many of his public speeches and meetings with government officials. His frequent citation of the famous saying of Imam Ali, 'Knowledge is power' (al-'ilm sultān), which states that knowledge is the source of power, and he who lacks knowledge becomes subject to the domination of others, remains memorable.
He believed that the survival and continuity of the Islamic Revolution, as well as Iran's ability to resist pressure from the United States and the West, depended on strengthening the country's scientific, technological, and economic capabilities. Among the results attributed to his leadership were the expansion of universities, the development of scientific research, the creation of the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge Economy, and subsequently the establishment of innovation centers, technology parks, and knowledge-based companies.
This constant commitment to science, research, and technology, alongside his exceptional leadership in strengthening Iran's military and defense capabilities, allowed the country to demonstrate its strength during recent wars, especially during the military confrontation involving attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran.
When the United States ceased to tolerate the ideological confrontation of Iran's global arrogance and globalization project, it initiated a direct military attack against Iran. With the support of Israel, NATO, and several Arab countries in the region, the United States allegedly conducted extensive bombings of Iranian targets, and on the first day of the conflict, the outstanding leader of Iran, along with several high-ranking military commanders, was killed.
Iran did not surrender; instead, it launched retaliatory operations targeting American military bases across the region, as well as military and economic facilities belonging to Israel, through missile and drone attacks. The United States attacked Iran with objectives such as forcing Iran's capitulation, changing its government, eliminating its leadership, destroying Iranian civilization, dividing the country, seizing its oil and natural resources, and liquidating its nuclear capabilities. However, the conflict ultimately reached a point where the United States, facing Iran's military capabilities, suffered a serious strategic defeat and subsequently called for a ceasefire and negotiations.
The broader consequences of Iran's resistance and the countries of the so-called 'Axis of Resistance' against the United States and Israel—including Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, influence on the global economy, and the emergence of Iran as a fourth global superpower—are not the focus of this article. The goal of the article is to study the deep causes of hostility between the United States and the West towards the Islamic Republic of Iran and to examine why the United States attempted to eliminate Ayatollah Khamenei, who was simultaneously a political leader and a respected religious authority among the people of Iran and many Muslims around the world, and why they failed to achieve the aforementioned goals.
In fact, the Islamic Revolution challenged the hegemonic ambitions of the United States by developing both a theoretical basis and a system of governance based on universal human values rooted in human nature, as discussed earlier. The Iranian people sought only to live freely and independently, organizing their society around divine and human values that should be promoted by all prophets, and preventing the exploitation of their natural resources, especially oil, by foreign powers.
The assassination of the Supreme Leader prompted Iranians to take to the streets in a demonstration of national unity. They expressed anger over the US and Israeli attack and called for a decisive Iranian response to the aggressors. For over four months, people have gathered every night in the streets of Tehran and other cities across the country, declaring their firm support for the Islamic Republic. Bolstered by overwhelming popular support, the Islamic Revolution utilized the science and technology it developed to counter the aggressors, ultimately overcoming the enemy's onslaught.
Forty years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, when the country achieved sufficient stability and standing on the international stage, our martyred leader issued the Declaration on the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution. In this document, having reviewed Iran's historical experiences during the Qajar and Pahlavi periods and outlining the achievements of the Islamic Revolution for the country, he presented a vision for Iran's development over the next forty years.
The first piece of advice in this declaration, addressed to the Iranian people, was the importance of science and research. Even issues and values such as spirituality and morality, economic development, justice and anti-corruption, independence and freedom, national dignity, foreign policy, the need to maintain clear boundaries with adversaries, and lifestyle were placed after scientific progress and research in his order of priorities.
According to the declaration, the reason was that preserving all these values in a world governed by a hegemonic order that tolerates no opposing voices primarily requires national strength and might, and such strength can only be achieved through acquiring science and technology based on scientific research. Thus, by emphasizing the scientific movement that occurred during the first forty years of the Islamic Revolution, he also stressed the need to maintain and expand this scientific revolution.
The declaration also calls for going beyond scientific frontiers in key academic disciplines and views the pursuit of science and technology as one of the nation's most important tasks. It is these strategic directives that allowed Iran—once a weak country...
} , 3.The head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Pirhossein Kolivan, condemned recent US attacks on Iran's civilian infrastructure. He strongly urged the global community to conduct immediate, independent, impartial, and effective investigations to hold those responsible for war crimes accountable.
According to reliable sources, these attacks have resulted not only in civilian casualties and financial losses but have also affected a wide range of facilities, structures, and vital public infrastructure. Affected sites include wheat warehouses in Hoveyzeh, mineral water production in Musian and Dehloran, a desalination plant in the Boma district of Sirik, an environmental protection station in Haji-Abad, a communications regulator in Bandar-Abbas, the port of Kish, a search and rescue station on Kish, fishing and commercial piers in Sirik, a fishing pier in Bandar-Abbas, Hengam Island, a telecommunications tower on Kish Island, a wastewater treatment plant in Bandar-Abbas Bird Garden, railways in Khorasan Razavi and Golestan, a fishing pier in Asalueh, Tohid-Jam Airport, Semnan Airport, as well as facilities near Ahvaz Hospital.
Attacks on civilian infrastructure, including water treatment facilities, food storage and distribution centers, ports, transport networks, communication systems, and ecological sites, disrupt public access to essential services. This jeopardizes fundamental rights such as the right to life, health, access to drinking water, food security, communication, and a healthy environment.
All these crimes occurred several months after brutal US attacks on Minab, which resulted in the deaths of innocent children, parents, and teachers. The US authorities have refused to acknowledge their responsibility and the consequences of these events. The situation has raised serious concerns regarding compliance with the fundamental rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and increased risks to the civilian population.
The statement emphasizes that according to IHL, intentional or indiscriminate attacks on civilians, civilian property, and objects are prohibited. States and military forces are obligated to direct their military operations exclusively against military targets, guided by the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
Referring to recent statements by the US President threatening to bomb bridges and other civilian infrastructure, Kolivan noted that such threats constitute a clear violation of the fundamental requirements of IHL and international state obligations, heightening concerns for the safety and lives of civilians.
Recalling the obligation set out in Common Article 1 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions regarding the 'respect and ensuring respect' for IHL, the statement addresses the states party to the Geneva Conventions, the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council, the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as relevant international and regional organizations and civil society. These bodies are called upon not to remain passive in the face of alleged IHL violations and to take effective measures to ensure compliance with IHL, protect the civilian population, and preserve civilian property and infrastructure.
Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations stated that the US is committing 'atrocious war crimes' by systematically striking the country's civilian infrastructure. In a letter to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General António Guterres, Amir Saeed Eravani detailed American strikes between July 8 and 16, which affected southern provinces, coastal cities, and ports along the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Eravani stated that due to the continued inaction of the Security Council, the US continues to carry out acts of aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran, committing atrocious war crimes against the Iranian people in flagrant violation of the UN Charter and international law, particularly international humanitarian law. He specified that the American attacks targeted Bandar-Abbas, Bushehr, Ahvaz, Chabahar, Konarak, Jask, Sirik, Iranshahr, Abu Musa Island, Greater Tunb, and early on July 16, the cities of Shiraz, Khorramabad, Semnan, Urmia, and Hamadan.
The letter also indicated that the bombings caused extensive damage to ports, transport networks, communication facilities, logistics hubs, radar installations, coastal defense systems, and 'other infrastructure essential for the civilian population.' As a result of the latest wave of attacks, dozens of people died in Iran, including civilians, emergency service personnel, firefighters, park keepers, and fishermen.
Eravani also referenced public statements by President Donald Trump, including the threat to strike Iranian bridges and power plants. The Iranian ambassador to the UN emphasized Trump's acknowledgment of bombing the country's nuclear facilities, stating: 'If I were not here, or Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) were not here, especially combined... they would have nuclear weapons within two weeks if I did not attack them with nuclear weapons.' Eravani stressed that this statement demonstrates the dangerous thinking of the US President, reflecting complete contempt for the UN Charter, international law, and the most fundamental principles of humanity.
He called on the Security Council to take 'immediate and effective measures to stop US aggression and ensure accountability for all serious violations by the United States.' Eravani added that as long as the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, fails to fulfill its duties to maintain international peace and security, the Islamic Republic of Iran will exercise all its rights under international law to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity, people, and vital interests.
The United States and Israel began their aggression against Iran on February 28. During the 39 days of war, which was suspended by mediation efforts by Pakistan on April 8, thousands of people died, most of whom were civilians. Furthermore, the US violated the 14-point memorandum of understanding signed on June 17. Iran carried out retaliatory strikes on US military bases in the Persian Gulf region.
The Minister of Heritage and Tourism of Oman stated that Oman welcomes broader interaction with Iran in the field of museum management and highly appreciates the skill of Iranian architects and restorers in preserving the Sultanate's historical monuments.
These comments were made during a meeting in Muscat between the Iranian Ambassador to Oman, Mousa Farhang, and the Omani Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Said Ibrahim bin Said Al Busaidi. Information about this meeting was published by the Islamic Organization for Culture and Relations of Iran.
Mousa Farhang reported that Iran is ready to share its experience in restoring ancient buildings, stone monuments, inscriptions, and archaeological artifacts. Furthermore, Iran is prepared to train specialists and send experts to Oman to participate in cultural heritage preservation and museum cooperation projects.
Al Busaidi noted that the Omani ministry aims to move cooperation beyond memorandums of understanding and transition to implementing practical projects. He emphasized that the preservation of cultural heritage is a key state policy of Oman, and the country is ready to sign cooperation agreements with Iran, especially concerning the restoration of historical sites.
The Minister added: 'We welcome expanding cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in museum management and are ready to utilize Iran's valuable experience in various fields, especially in the restoration of historical monuments.'
The parties discussed issues of cultural heritage, tourism, museums, and the exchange of specialized delegations. Al Busaidi pointed out that the historical and cultural ties between Oman and Iran create a solid foundation for developing joint initiatives.
Farhang noted that the level of cultural interaction does not yet match the level of political and economic relations between Tehran and Muscat. He drew attention to the common maritime heritage, traditional architecture, music, crafts, and historical ties between Iranian ports such as Bandar Abbas, Hormuz, and Kisham, and the coasts of Oman.
The Iranian Ambassador mentioned that approximately 100,000 Omani citizens visit Iran annually, many of whom travel to the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, while others travel for medical or tourist reasons. Al Busaidi also stated that Oman will facilitate the participation of the private sector in Iranian tourism exhibitions and events. He added that dozens of foreign archaeological missions from international universities operate in Oman every year, which opens opportunities for joint archaeological excavations, restoration work, and documentation of cultural heritage with the involvement of Iranian specialists.
