On October 23, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Uzbekistan, Mohammad Ali Iskandari, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic. According to the official statement, the Iranian diplomat was handed a strong note of protest regarding recent public statements.

The diplomatic friction was triggered by posts published on the X social media platform by several Iranian diplomatic missions abroad, specifically in Armenia and Zimbabwe. These accounts shared materials featuring the Registan Square in Samarkand, where architectural arches were allegedly claimed to be a distinct feature of 'Iranian-Islamic civilization.' The Uzbek regime's foreign ministry categorized these claims as a one-sided and politically motivated interpretation of the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

During the official meeting, representatives of the Uzbek ministry strongly emphasized that the heritage of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and other historical cities represents an integral part of a multi-faceted historical development shaped over centuries. It was asserted that Samarkand's architectural identity directly reflects the centuries-old history, statehood traditions, and cultural progress of the Uzbek people.

The ministry explicitly reminded the foreign delegation that materials published on official diplomatic information resources must strictly adhere to principles of mutual respect and should never serve to politicize historical and cultural issues. The Iranian side was formally urged to remove the contentious social media posts and ensure that such unauthorized interpretations do not happen again.

Source: www.gazeta.uz