Unesco-listed Golestan Palace in Tehran hit in joint US-Israeli attacks

The former royal palace "was reportedly damaged by debris and the shock wave following an air strike to the Arag Square, located in the buffer zone of the site in the Iranian capital"

• Tehran's UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace sustained damage in airstrikes
• Windows, doors, and mirrors hit by shockwaves and debris
• UNESCO urges protection of cultural sites amid regional violence

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Tehran’s Golestan Palace, recognised by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for its cultural significance, sustained damage in US and Israeli attacks, according to local media reports on Monday.

"Following the joint US-Israeli attack on Arag square in southern Tehran on Sunday evening, parts of the Golestan Palace... were damaged," the ISNA news agency reported, adding that windows, doors, and mirrors were hit by reverberations from blasts.

A similar report was carried by Iran's Mehr news agency too.

The former royal palace "was reportedly damaged by debris and the shock wave following an air strike to the Arag Square, located in the buffer zone of the site in the Iranian capital", UNESCO said in a statement.

The UN's cultural agency said it had "communicated to all parties concerned the geographical coordinates of sites on the World Heritage List as well as those of national significance, to avoid any potential damage".

“UNESCO continues to closely monitor the situation of cultural heritage in the country and across the region, with a view to ensuring its protection,” it said.

UNESCO expresses concern over the protection of cultural heritage sites amidst escalating violence in the Middle East. On Monday 2 march, the Golestan Palace in Tehran, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was reportedly damaged by debris and the shock wave following an airstrike to… pic.twitter.com/qhux4x8ZAE

— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 (@UNESCO) March 2, 2026

It pointed to the protections for cultural property enshrined in international conventions.

“UNESCO recalls that cultural property is protected under international law, notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, including its enhanced protection mechanism, as well as the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage,” it said.

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