Isfahan cultural sites damaged in strikes — Ali Qapu Palace, Chehel Sotoun, Jameh Mosque (UNESCO)

Iran's Culture and Heritage Ministry alleged that Israeli airstrikes targeting the governor's administration building in Isfahan — which were conducted on Day 9 (March 8) — also damaged historic cultural sites in the adjacent area, according to the New York Times. The sites reportedly damaged include the Ali Qapu Palace, the Chehel Sotoun palace and garden (both dating to the 17th century), and the Jameh Mosque — a standout example of Persian architecture. The Jameh Mosque's signature turquoise tiles reportedly fell to the ground due to the strikes. Social media imagery suggested damage to Isfahan's historic city center, which includes at least one UNESCO World Heritage Site. The IDF told the Times it was not targeting cultural sites but did not respond to specific questions about the reported damage. UNESCO expressed concern about the damage to cultural landmarks and said it had 'communicated to all parties concerned the geographical coordinates of sites on the World Heritage List as well as those of national significance, to avoid any potential damage.' The Isfahan cultural site damage is diplomatically significant: it gives Iran and the broader Muslim world a potent propaganda tool — images of damaged mosques and historic palaces — and elevates the international legal pressure on Israel under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.