Reza Salehi-Amiri made the remark in an interview with Iran's official news agency (IRNA) on Wednesday, after Iran requested UNESCO's support in protecting its invaluable historical and cultural heritage sites from potential damage due to Israeli attacks.
He said Iran has officially sent a letter to UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, calling for urgent and effective action by the international body to safeguard its cultural and natural heritage from threats posed by Israeli military actions.
In the letter, Salehi-Amiri has highlighted the responsibility of UNESCO and the international community to preserve irreplaceable global treasures, citing the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, as well as the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage to prevent damage to Iran’s invaluable historical and natural sites, he said.
Iran, the minister said, has more than 40,000 nationally registered monuments and 28 World Heritage Sites, including more than 100 historical, natural, and cultural sites.
More than 50 other monuments are also on UNESCO's tentative list for World Heritage registration.
Iran also warned that delays in UNESCO’s response could lead to irreversible damage to its World Heritage sites, stressing that many of these monuments are under direct and indirect threat.
“We are aware that the Director-General of UNESCO has conveyed this issue as a warning to the Zionist regime,” Salehi-Amiri said when asked about UNESCO's action regarding Iran's letter and the necessity of protecting Iran's historical and cultural monuments.
On June 13, the Israeli regime launched unlawful aggression against Iran, leading to the assassination of many senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary citizens.
Iran retaliated in less than 24 hours with a barrage of missiles and drones, and followed it up with a series of retaliatory operations under True Promise III.
The US entered the war on behalf of Israel on June 22, when its bombers hit three Iranian nuclear sites in brazen violation of international law.
In response, Iran launched a missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military air base in West Asia, as an act of retaliation.
After 12 days, during which the Iranian armed forces inflicted heavy blows on the regime and its military and industrial infrastructure, the Israeli regime was forced to unilaterally accept a truce deal.
Press TV