IRAQ-ARCHAEOLOGY-IRAN-US-ISRAEL-WAR

Archaeologists add the "Blue Shield" sign to signify cultural sites protected by the 1954 Hague Convention next to the reconstructed 12th century "Hadba" leaning minaret at the historic Great Mosque of al-Nuri in the old city of Mosul on March 31, 2026. Archaeological and heritage sites in Mosul have been marked with the Blue Shield by the Nineveh Antiquities Inspectorate and the Baytuna Foundation for Culture and Arts to protect them from possible bombing and targeting during the ongoing war between Iran and the US and Israel. The sites include the Nuri Mosque, its "Hadba" Minaret, and the Bash Tapia Castle. (Photo by Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP via Getty Images)