Iran’s culture minister has formally warned UNESCO about Israeli threats against a national railway, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and consequently, the minister calls the situation a railway heritage risk that demands urgent international attention.
Reza Salehi-Amiri sent a letter to UNESCO on Tuesday. He serves as Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts. He describes the railway as a masterpiece of modern engineering. For example, the railway took many years to build.
Israel earlier threatened to attack this railway, which joined the UNESCO World Heritage list five years ago when the 44th UNESCO session in China approved it with full consensus, and moreover, all member states agreed at that time without any objection.
Salehi-Amiri states these threats directly attack shared human heritage. Therefore, he wants UNESCO to take a clear and quick stand. The railway crosses eight Iranian provinces. These include Golestan, Mazandaran, Semnan, Tehran, Qom, Markazi, Lorestan, and Khuzestan. In addition, the route passes through the Hirkanian forests. Those forests are another UNESCO site in northern Iran.
The minister calls the railway a prime example of national connectivity. He also calls it part of Iran’s civilizational memory. He warns that any attack on this site damages Iranian cultural heritage. Furthermore, it harms an asset belonging to all humanity.
He adds that such actions face strong condemnation. This condemnation comes from moral, human, and international cultural law perspectives. He also raises concerns about civilian safety. For instance, an attack on the railway would cause major humanitarian problems.
Salehi-Amiri strongly criticizes any silence about these threats. He says international inaction would weaken global protections for culture and history. According to Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, over 130 historic sites have already suffered damage or destruction. As a result, these resulted from what Iran calls unprovoked Israeli-American aggression.
This latest development raises broader political and social questions. Many countries see World Heritage sites as neutral ground. Nevertheless, military threats against them break international norms. Cultural heritage experts argue such threats set dangerous precedents. They fear future conflicts might target more protected landmarks.
Iran has not yet announced specific next steps. However, the government may push for an emergency UNESCO meeting. It could also seek resolutions from the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, UNESCO has not issued a public response. In fact, the organization often tries to avoid direct political confrontations.
The railway remains fully operational for now. But the threats create uncertainty for travelers and logistics firms. Any military strike would disrupt regional transport. It could also harm tourism and local economies. For example, the railway runs through diverse landscapes and communities. Many civilians live and work near its tracks. Consequently, their daily lives face potential disruption.
The Iranian minister frames this issue as a railway heritage risk. He urges UNESCO to act before any damage occurs. Finally, he insists the world must protect cultural sites from military threats. His letter tries to raise alarm without waiting for an actual attack. Therefore, the ball now rests in UNESCO’s court.