NEW DELHI -- Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri on Friday condemned the damage inflicted on Iran’s historic and cultural heritage during recent attacks, warning that the protection of cultural sites must be placed at the center of international cooperation.
Speaking at the 2026 BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in India, Salehi-Amiri said the attacks seriously damaged 149 historic and cultural sites, including five properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. He described the destruction as a major concern for the preservation of Iran’s cultural heritage.
He also condemned the “devastating aggression” against Iran, saying the war martyred more than 4,000 people, including 168 children at the Shajareh Tayebeh school in Minab, as well as civilians and prominent scientific, intellectual and cultural figures.
Salehi-Amiri said Iran’s experience demonstrated the need to place human life, dignity, communities and shared cultural heritage at the heart of international cooperation. 
For countries confronting conflict and instability, he said, protecting heritage cannot be separated from protecting the communities and identities connected to it.
Turning to tourism, the minister called for a broader understanding of resilience. Tourism resilience, he said, should not be limited to a destination’s ability to withstand an economic or security crisis. It should also encompass the ability of people, communities and cultures to preserve their identity, rebuild livelihoods and recover their dignity.
“The world today needs resilient communities more than resilient economies,” Salehi-Amiri said, calling for cooperation instead of confrontation, dialogue instead of division and cultural understanding instead of hostility.
Salehi-Amiri presented several proposals aimed at strengthening practical tourism cooperation among BRICS members.
He called for closer links between government policies and private-sector capacity, arguing that BRICS should strengthen mechanisms for private investment alongside existing government cooperation.
He also proposed establishing a BRICS Tourism Projects Support Fund, potentially operating through the New Development Bank, to finance tourism infrastructure and joint projects across member states.
Another proposal centered on the historic Silk Road and Spice Route. Salehi-Amiri said these ancient
 commercial and cultural corridors could be revived as platforms for people-to-people exchanges, tourism development, cultural dialogue and stronger regional cooperation.
He said that tourism should be understood as more than an economic activity.
“Let us turn tourism into a bridge between nations,” he said, describing tourism as a means of connecting cultures, restoring hope, supporting communities and contributing to lasting peace.
Iran, he added, is ready to participate actively in developing practical mechanisms for deeper tourism cooperation among BRICS countries.