# Collateral damage: The war comes for Iran’s ancient past

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-assignment-7432756/collateral-damage-the-war-comes-for-iran-s-ancient-past
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-assignment-7432756/collateral-damage-the-war-comes-for-iran-s-ancient-past.md
Podcast: [On Assignment](https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-assignment-7432756)
Published: 2026-07-11T00:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/THRH5222112756.mp3
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/THRH5222112756.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/on-assignment-7432756/episodes/collateral-damage-the-war-comes-for-iran-s-ancient-past
Duration seconds: 1738

## Resource

As U.S. and Israeli strikes hit targets across Iran, some of the country's most treasured cultural sites found themselves in the blast zone. Reuters reporters gained rare access to historic palaces and the UNESCO-listed heart of Isfahan, documenting shattered windows, damaged mosaics and centuries-old architecture scarred by war. On this episode of On Assignment, Pulitzer-winning investigative journalist Michael Pell explains how Reuters combined eyewitness reporting, satellite imagery and forensic analysis to uncover what happened—and why the loss of cultural heritage matters, even amid a conflict measured in human lives. Further reading Shattered tiles, trembling domes: An inside look at how the war has damaged Iran’s historic sites

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## Transcript

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