Iran's Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Tehran, suffered serious damage in the US-Israeli strikes despite protective measures including the installation of a "water shield," Deputy Minister for Cultural Heritage Ali Darabi said on March 2, Donya-e-Eqtesad reported.

Israeli and US American airforces have repeatedly struck Iranian military and government institutions in recent days. Dozens have been killed in what has been seen as the biggest military strikes in the region since the Iraq War in 2003. 

Darabi called on international organisations, including UNESCO, to "fulfil their inherent duties" in response to the damage to the 19th-century Qajar-era palace complex, which was designated a World Heritage site in 2013.

The deputy minister said officials were documenting the damage and preparing a detailed report to be sent to UNESCO, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

He called for heritage specialists to be brought in to assess the extent of the destruction and plan restoration work.

Darabi also ordered measures to increase the safety of the complex against further strikes.

Golestan Palace, located in the historic heart of Tehran, served as the seat of the Qajar dynasty and is one of Iran's most significant cultural landmarks. Its collection of buildings, gardens and decorated halls represents one of the oldest groups of buildings in the capital.

The damage to a protected cultural site is likely to draw international criticism at a time when the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has already faced condemnation from the United Nations and multiple governments.