STORY: :: Iranian artisans fear for heritage sites following US-Israeli strikes in March on the historic city of Isfahan
:: March 24, 2026
:: Carpet merchant Ali Bordbar was near Isfahan's Emam Mosque during a bombing
:: Ali Bordbar, Carpet shop owner
"And one moment I see the dome, some of the tiles, you know, is falling down. It was... and I think with myself how this magnificent (mosque) can (be) destroyed. Oh my God. Please, God, you can help this. I couldn't do anything, no idea, just keep this place. This is because really, I can see the God here."
:: Handcraft sellers in Naghsh-e Jahan Square say blasts have left the windows of shops broken
:: Mohsen Ghrehkhani, Handcraft shop owner
"Even a little bit. You know, even a single crack on a 500 years old monument will break your heart, especially if you are from the very city and the very street and the very place."
Last month, UNESCO said it was deeply concerned about the fate of world heritage sites in Iran and across the region.
The ceasefire that halted six weeks of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran looked in jeopardy, with only a week left to run.
Washington said Tehran rejected its demands at weekend talks in Islamabad, the highest-level discussions since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Foreign media in Iran operate under guidelines set by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which regulates press activity and permissions.
