Iran Marks 120+ Museums and Historic Sites with Blue Shield for Protection
WANA (Mar 10) – Mohsen Tousi, Director General for Preservation, Restoration, and Rehabilitation of Historic Monuments, Textures, and Sites at Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, announced that more than 120 museums and several historic buildings across Iran have been marked with the Blue Shield symbol to safeguard valuable cultural and historical assets.
Implementation Across the Country
Tousi explained that following the start of coalition attacks by Israel and the United States, letters were sent to the heads of provincial cultural heritage offices directing the installation of the Blue Shield symbol in museums and historic buildings.
He said the symbol has already been installed in over 120 museums and selected historic sites in provinces including Kerman, Lorestan, Fars, Mazandaran, Hamedan, East Azerbaijan, as well as the Sheikh Safi al-Din complex in Erbil. Others are in the process of being installed.
Tousi noted that the Blue Shield is recognized internationally as one of the most standard methods for protecting cultural heritage both in peacetime and during armed conflicts. It is the official emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Raising Global Awareness
The Blue Shield symbol serves as a reminder of the global responsibility to protect cultural and historical heritage. Tousi emphasized that cultural sites are not only the property of a single community but are part of humanity’s shared identity. Damage to such sites anywhere in the world constitutes harm to global civilization and culture.
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Regarding its effectiveness in preventing attacks, Tousi said: “Under international law, the Blue Shield identifies cultural and historic assets and alerts potential aggressors—whether in airstrikes or urban unrest—about the presence of these sites. If an enemy attacks, countries can file complaints in international forums and seek condemnation.”
He added that all historic sites, including Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are marked in digital mapping platforms such as GPS and Google Earth, signaling that they must not be targeted.
Documentation of Attacks on Golestan Palace
Tousi highlighted that Golestan Palace, heavily damaged by shrapnel and blast waves from coalition attacks on Arg Square, is protected as a World Heritage Site.
He rejected claims that damage to nearby police stations justifies attacks, noting that law enforcement facilities are civilian-protective and non-military in nature—a standard applied globally.
He concluded that Iran is compiling documentation on the damage to Golestan Palace and will present it to international bodies to pursue condemnation of the attacks on these global heritage sites.
A view of debris at the historical monument Golestan Palace following an Israeli and U.S. strike on the Justice Building in the area, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
