President Donald Trump has repeated his threat to destroy Iran’s cultural heritage sites despite the fact that doing so would be a war crime under international law.
The threat was initially made after Iran vowed to avenge the killing of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani with strikes on 52 Iranian targets, which he said represented each US hostage Iran had taken.
On Twitter, Trump wrote: “targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!”
Asked to clarify what he meant by reporters, the US president once again said that the Iranians were allowed to “blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way.”
That sparked an almost immediate reaction from Iran but also from others shocked that Trump would threaten to deliberately destroy non-military targets, an act that would be a war crime in itself, but would also specifically violate international law on the protection of heritage sites, including the Geneva Convention.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also hit back in a tweet, comparing Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s cultural heritage to Daesh’s destruction of Iraqi and Syrian historic sites, such as in Palmyra.
The Iranian official wrote: “A reminder to those hallucinating about emulating ISIS war crimes by targeting our cultural heritage: Through MILLENNIA of history, barbarians have come and ravaged our cities, razed our monuments and burnt our libraries. Where are they now? We’re still here, [and] standing tall.”
Zarif was joined in his condemnation by Iranians and others.
Journalist Negar Mortazavi wrote: “Those who still think that this President supports the people of Iran, please take note: He wants to target ‘Iranian Culture’.”
The threats by Trump even drew criticism from figures within the US.
Democrat Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal described Trump’s comments as “madness”.
“Attacking sites that are "important to the Iranian culture" is a war crime. This is an impeached president going to war without any authorization from Congress. This is madness and Congress must stop him.” Jayapal wrote.
Iran is home to relics of civilisations thousands of years old, including the Elamite people who were the first recorded civilisation to make Iran their home, and later Persian empires, which left behind ruins, such as those at Persepolis.
Various Islamic empires, starting with the Arabs but followed by Turkic, Mongol, and native Persian dynasties, also left their mark on Iran’s cultural landscape.
