TEHRAN -- Senior Iranian cultural officials have dismissed reports suggesting that Iran’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites are at risk of being removed from the World Heritage List, calling such claims “baseless” and “uninformed.”
Farhad Azizi Zelani, director-general of Iran’s World Heritage Sites at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, said that removal from UNESCO’s register is an extensive and highly technical process that cannot occur without detailed international review.
“If sites were delisted with every small threat or change, no country’s heritage would remain on the list,” Azizi said in an interview with IRNA. “These statements stem from misunderstanding and poor analysis.”
Azizi called for collective responsibility among local authorities and communities to safeguard these historic places, describing them as “not only the property of the Iranian people but the shared heritage of humanity.”
He emphasized that ongoing monitoring and preservation work continues at major sites including Persepolis, Soltaniyeh Dome, and the Fin Garden of Kashan, and that any illegal construction or encroachment within protected zones is immediately addressed through legal action.
“We will not allow any harm to the integrity or universal value of our World Heritage properties,” he asserted.
Azizi noted that comprehensive management and conservation plans are being revised for all World Heritage Sites in Iran. In Persepolis, restoration work and infrastructure improvements are under way, while in Soltaniyeh, an unauthorized building project has been halted following legal complaints.
The ministry is also restructuring the national framework for heritage site management, aiming to create more coordinated governance across local and national levels. “Every individual and institution must fulfill their role in protecting these treasures,” Azizi said.
Meanwhile, Reza Salehi Amiri, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, reaffirmed the complete stability of Persepolis and Pasargadae, dismissing circulating claims of potential threats to their UNESCO status.
Speaking after a meeting in Tehran, Salehi Amiri said that no official communication or warning has been received from UNESCO or any international body regarding the condition of these sites.
“I have personally travelled to Fars Province and inspected the situation. Nothing new or concerning has occurred — the status of Persepolis is entirely stable,” the minister stated.
He added that routine inspections and coordination with provincial authorities confirm there have been no new construction activities or alterations in the protected zones.