March 14, 2026
Others who spoke to the Guardian this week also had a shift in their attitudes towards the war, especially after the attack on oil depots, but also after seeing images of the country’s heritage sites damaged.
Among those that took the worst hits were Tehran’s Golestan Palace, dating to the 14th century, and the 17th-century Chehel Sotoon Palace in Isfahan.
“How will they rebuild … a priceless part of history?” asked a Tehran-based student. “And how will we bring back people who are dying? Is that it? Is the message from abroad that just because the regime doesn’t care, the world shouldn’t? Is the goal to erase our culture and history?”
Have you? The recent protests were due to economic issues caused by the sanctions. Iran is diverse: Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, ethnic and religious minorities, so of course there will be all kind of different views, but the majority viewed Ali Khamenai as a religious leader as well as a political leader, he was also a religious leader to Shia outside of Iran. He was most similar to the role the Pope played during the Papal State period.