Iran’s long-standing civilizational heritage acts as a buffer against external miscalculations about its resilience, according to Mohammad Ebrahim Zarei, head of the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts. Speaking at a Tehran expert session on regional tensions on Tuesday, Zarei emphasized that foreign actors often underestimate Iran due to a failure to recognize its more than 6,000 years of continuous administrative and cultural development.

Zarei described recent attacks on Iranian territory as strategic errors stemming from the belief that Iran is a relatively young nation. He argued that this perspective ignores Iran’s deep historical roots, which extend back millennia and have endured despite numerous invasions and attempts to undermine the country’s heritage. The preservation of societal continuity, he said, has repeatedly proven more resilient than tangible monuments, which have at times suffered destruction.

Highlighting historical contrasts, Zarei compared Iran’s cultural endurance to the fate of empires such as the Assyrians, whose reliance on coercion and destruction eventually led to their disappearance. In contrast, he cited the example of Cyrus the Great’s conquest of Babylon, where governance was marked by tolerance and respect for local populations, contributing to the lasting influence of Persian civilization.

Zarei also addressed recent damage to heritage sites in several Iranian cities, acknowledging the cultural loss while asserting that such destruction does not sever the foundational identity of Iranian society. He described Iran’s civilizational roots as continually regenerating even under external pressures.

In line with these themes, the institute announced a restructuring of its “Architectural and Urban Heritage” division. Zarei framed this initiative not merely as an academic endeavor but as a strategic effort to reinforce national identity and cultural survival. The session concluded with the release of a special issue of a quarterly publication titled “War and Cultural Heritage,” signaling a broadened focus on protecting architectural and urban heritage as vital assets amid ongoing regional challenges.