"When such a structure is damaged, you do not lose one thing. You lose many things simultaneously, each irreplaceable," Zoghi said.

"The international community must understand: these sites are not symbols of the current political order. They predate it by centuries or millennia.

"The targeting of such spaces constitutes a form of cultural violence that international law has specifically named and prohibited. And yet here we are."

Following the damage to the Golestan Palace, UNESCO released a statement on March 2, saying it continues to closely monitor the situation of cultural heritage in Iran and across the region, with a view to ensuring its protection.

As security deteriorated in the region, UNESCO issued another statement calling for maximum restraint and taking all necessary measures to spare education, culture, media, science, and the environment as the social foundations of societies.

As of March 24, UNESCO confirmed it has verified damage to 164 sites in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023.

"Perhaps the deepest misconception is that the destruction of Iranian cultural heritage harms only Iranians, or only Muslims, or only those who sympathize with Iran's current government. This is profoundly wrong," said Zoghi, the Iranian artist.