Iran heritage body faces staffing shortage in Kermanshah, commander says

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's cultural heritage protection units are struggling to secure more than 4,000 archaeological sites in Kermanshah province because of personnel and equipment shortages, the commander of the Iran Heritage Protection Union said. Colonel Ayat Ahmadi told IRNA that most of the sites, located along the historical Silk Road route, include caravanserais and old inns that cannot be placed under continuous supervision. To close the gap, Ahmadi said drones and smart monitoring systems are being deployed across the province. The union is responsible for protecting 43,000 registered archaeological sites, more than 260 museums, 30 UNESCO-listed sites and 28 high-priority historical complexes nationwide, according to the agency. Ahmadi added that administrative restrictions have made it difficult to recruit young staff and conscripts, and the union is in talks with the army to bring in university-educated soldiers. He also said overlapping authority with municipalities has complicated efforts against illegal excavation and unauthorized construction, with demolition cases being funded out of the unit's limited budget.