Heightened Vigilance Regarding Iranian Cultural Heritage
Issued by IMPD – International Museum Professionals Day, Est 2014
In light of escalating instability in Iran and the increased risk to cultural heritage that typically accompanies such periods, IMPD International Museum Professionals Day (Est. 2014) urge museums, auction houses, dealers, and private collectors worldwide to apply heightened professional due diligence to any object of Persian/Iranian origin or with a plausible Iranian provenance. For acquisitions, consignments, and transfers from 1 January 2026 onward, acquiring entities should be ready to provide clear, verifiable documentation demonstrating lawful export, uninterrupted provenance, and compliance with applicable national laws and international instruments, including relevant UNESCO conventions.
We recognize that documentation can be uneven in crisis contexts. At the same time, recent developments materially increase the likelihood of illicit trafficking, emergency removals, and looting—especially where collections are unregistered, records are incomplete, or databases are vulnerable to loss, manipulation, or deliberate destruction. In such circumstances, gaps in provenance or export documentation must be treated as a heightened risk indicator, not as a neutral absence. This letter is a collegial but firm notice: standards of scrutiny are likely to increase in the near term, and entities that acquire Iranian cultural material without robust, verifiable documentation may face reputational, ethical, and legal accountability.
IMPD extends its deepest solidarity to our museum and heritage colleagues in Iran, who continue their work under extraordinarily difficult circumstances with courage, care, and professionalism. We wish you strength, safety, and international support, and we reaffirm that your efforts to safeguard Iran’s cultural heritage are seen, respected, and shared by colleagues around the world.
As stewards of cultural heritage, we rely on one another to uphold ethical collecting practices, protect vulnerable patrimony, and prevent the laundering of unlawfully removed objects through the legitimate market during times of crisis.
Q&A for Acquisitions Committees
Q: Why is IMPD issuing this alert now?
A: Periods of political instability and civil unrest historically correlate with increased risks of illicit excavation, emergency removals, theft, and trafficking of cultural objects. Recent developments in Iran materially increase these risks, warranting heightened professional vigilance across the sector.
Q: Does this constitute a moratorium or call to stop acquiring Iranian material?
A: No. IMPD is not calling for a ban or moratorium. This is a time-limited professional advisory encouraging enhanced due diligence, documentation review, and risk assessment during a period of heightened vulnerability.
Q: What acquisitions are affected?
A: Any object of Persian/Iranian origin, or with a plausible Iranian provenance, considered for acquisition, consignment, or transfer from 1 January 2026 onward.
Q: What level of documentation should be expected?
A: Clear, verifiable evidence of lawful export, uninterrupted provenance, and compliance with applicable national laws and international conventions. Documentation should be independently reviewable and internally archived.
Q: How should gaps or inconsistencies in documentation be treated?
A: In the current context, gaps should be treated as heightened risk indicators, prompting additional scrutiny, consultation, or delay. Absence of documentation should not be assumed to be neutral.
Q: When should we escalate to legal counsel/compliance leadership?
A: Escalate when export legality is unclear; documentation appears incomplete, contradictory, or potentially altered; ownership is disputed; sanctions/embargo issues may apply; or there is elevated reputational, donor, or press sensitivity.
Q: Does this apply to long-term loans or promised gifts?
A: Yes. The same due diligence principles apply to loans, promised gifts, and shared custody arrangements initiated from 1 January 2026 onward.
Q: How does this alert support colleagues in Iran?
A: By reducing demand for inadequately documented material during crisis conditions, institutions help limit market incentives that drive looting and trafficking, while signaling international professional solidarity.
Q: How long should heightened vigilance remain in place?
A: IMPD recommends periodic review by museum leadership and acquisitions committees, with adjustments as conditions evolve and reliable documentation environments stabilize.
Appendix: Provenance & Documentation Red Flags
The following indicators should prompt immediate pause, enhanced scrutiny, and escalation to senior leadership or legal/compliance review when assessing Persian/Iranian cultural material:
- Export permits, ownership documents, or invoices issued or reissued after periods of unrest, emergency evacuation, or sudden collection dispersals.
- Documentation that is incomplete, internally inconsistent, backdated, altered, or unusually generic in description.
- Provenance narratives relying heavily on oral history, private assurances, or unnamed intermediaries without corroborating records.
- Objects said to originate from “old collections” or “long-held private holdings” without independently verifiable supporting evidence.
- Sudden appearance of material types known to be vulnerable to looting (archaeological objects, architectural fragments, manuscripts, portable sculpture).
- Chains of custody that pass through multiple jurisdictions with limited transparency or through known free ports without clear records.
- Pressure to expedite review, limit internal circulation, or bypass standard committee procedures.
- Claims that documentation was lost, destroyed, or is unavailable due to current events, without credible third-party verification.
These indicators do not automatically preclude acquisition, but they materially increase risk and warrant deferral, external consultation, or decline.