US‑Israeli strikes endanger Iran’s historic heritage

TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — U.S. and Israeli military strikes have inflicted serious damage on more than 120 museums, historic monuments and cultural treasures across Iran civilians. 

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said countless homes, hospitals, and schools have been destroyed or damaged throughout Iranian cities, describing widespread civilian suffering and calling for an immediate end to hostilities.

“Civilians are paying the highest price for this war — it must end,” Egeland said, warning that continued conflict could force millions of people to flee, creating a far larger humanitarian disaster across borders and placing severe strain on neighboring countries.

Iranian Abbas Araghchi added that more than 600 schools had been damaged or demolished, and over 1,000 students and teachers were killed or wounded. 

He condemned the U.S.‑Israeli campaign as genocidal in intent, citing a February 28 strike on an elementary school in Minab that killed more than 165 people, mostly children, as evidence.

The debate over cultural and civilian harm has intensified at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where officials are weighing the broader implications of military operations that appear to target not just strategic sites but also institutions integral to Iran’s historical identity and community life.

Critics of the U.S. and Israeli campaign argue that such damage underscores the reckless disregard for human life and heritage, with far-reaching consequences for regional stability, collective memory and global cultural patrimony.