Uzbekistan Demands Iran Remove Posts on Samarkand’s Heritage
Political
Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador and handed him a note of protest over posts published by several Iranian diplomatic missions on X. Tashkent demanded the removal of material that, in its view, presented Samarkand’s historical heritage one-sidedly and for political purposes.
On October 23, 2026, Iranian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Muhammad Ali Iskandari was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. Spokesman Omonulla Fayziyev said the Iranian side received a note expressing Tashkent’s principled objection to posts published by Iranian diplomatic missions abroad.
The ministry said Samarkand’s historic character reflects the centuries-old history, statehood traditions and cultural development of the Uzbek people. Iran was asked to remove the disputed posts and take steps to prevent similar incidents.
The dispute followed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Samarkand on October 19. Speaking from Registan Square in a video address, Rubio described the city as a historic crossroads of international trade. Iranian missions in Armenia, Bulgaria and the Netherlands posted images of Rubio by the monuments and described them as Persian heritage. According to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, the protest concerned five posts.
Earlier, on October 7, Rubio spoke in Athens with the Acropolis behind him, portraying ancient Persia as an adversary of Greek civilisation and saying the Persians had razed the Acropolis. His remarks drew criticism in Iran, and missions referred to them in comments on the Samarkand photographs.
Uzbekistan said it values relations with Iran, which are based on mutual respect and trust, while maintaining a firm position against one-sided interpretations of its national historical and cultural heritage. The Registan architectural ensemble took shape under the Timurids and the Ashtarkhanids, and craftsmen from Iran also took part in its construction. The dispute moved cultural heritage into the diplomatic arena. Tashkent urged against using history for political messaging in public diplomacy too.
The ministry said Samarkand’s historic character reflects the centuries-old history, statehood traditions and cultural development of the Uzbek people. Iran was asked to remove the disputed posts and take steps to prevent similar incidents.
The dispute followed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Samarkand on October 19. Speaking from Registan Square in a video address, Rubio described the city as a historic crossroads of international trade. Iranian missions in Armenia, Bulgaria and the Netherlands posted images of Rubio by the monuments and described them as Persian heritage. According to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, the protest concerned five posts.
Earlier, on October 7, Rubio spoke in Athens with the Acropolis behind him, portraying ancient Persia as an adversary of Greek civilisation and saying the Persians had razed the Acropolis. His remarks drew criticism in Iran, and missions referred to them in comments on the Samarkand photographs.
Uzbekistan said it values relations with Iran, which are based on mutual respect and trust, while maintaining a firm position against one-sided interpretations of its national historical and cultural heritage. The Registan architectural ensemble took shape under the Timurids and the Ashtarkhanids, and craftsmen from Iran also took part in its construction. The dispute moved cultural heritage into the diplomatic arena. Tashkent urged against using history for political messaging in public diplomacy too.
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