Iran’s ambassador to Tashkent, Muhammad Ali Iskandari, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Oct. 23, 2026. Ministry spokesman Omonulla Fayziyev said that Uzbekistan’s firm objection was conveyed to the Iranian side in a protest note handed over at the meeting.
“The objection was prompted by the publication on social media platform X, by a number of Iran’s diplomatic missions abroad, of material interpreting the historical and cultural heritage of Samarkand in a one-sided and politically motivated way.
“During the meeting, it was stressed that the heritage of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and other historic cities is an integral part of a rich, multifaceted historical and cultural development shaped over many centuries. It was underlined that Samarkand’s historical and cultural character reflects the centuries-old history, statehood traditions and cultural development of the Uzbek people.
“It was also emphasized that material published on diplomatic missions’ official information channels must be consistent with the principles of mutual respect and trust and must not lead to the politicization of historical and cultural issues.
“The Iranian side was asked to remove the relevant posts from the missions’ social media pages and to take the necessary steps to prevent such incidents from recurring,” said the information provided by the ministry official.
The Uzbek side also said it values relations with Iran based on mutual respect and trust, and reiterated its principled position against one-sided interpretations of historical and cultural heritage.
The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a video statement on Oct. 19 during a visit to Samarkand, filmed at Registan Square in front of the historic monuments.
“Few places on earth have played as important a role in world trade and commerce throughout history as Samarkand. It is an honor to be here today, not just to remember the opportunities for the future,” the head of the U.S. foreign policy agency said.
Rubio’s video and photos from Registan drew sarcastic comments from several Iranian embassies, including those in Armenia, the Netherlands and Bulgaria. Iran’s embassy in Bulgaria wrote on X:
“Marco Rubio attacks Iranian civilization, yet poses in Samarkand with Persian heritage standing right in front of him. Marco, here you are, standing right in front of it.”
Iran’s embassy in Armenia said the place where Rubio stood was part of Persian civilization and architecture:
“It's great that you’re learning history! The place where you’re standing is part of Persian civilization and architecture. The same civilization you were babbling nonsens about last week at the Acropolis!”
The BBC reported that Rubio did speak in Athens on Oct. 7, during a trip to Greece, against the backdrop of the Acropolis, portraying the ancient Persian state as an enemy of Greek civilization. By his account, the Persians “razed the Acropolis to the ground.” In Iran, the speech was read as casting Persia as the West’s historical enemy and drew widespread criticism.
Iran’s embassy in the Netherlands also referred to the Greece speech and called the historic square in Samarkand a masterpiece of Persian architectural heritage:
“Secretary Rubio is posing in Samarkand's historic square, a masterpiece of Persian architectural heritage, after criticizing Persian civilization in Athens,. Mr. Secretary , a little historical study helps avoid such contradictions. Don’t just read what is handed to you,” wrote the mission in The Hague.
The ministry official said that the Iranian ambassador was handed objections over a total of five posts by Tehran’s embassies abroad concerning the Registan monuments.
The embassies’ reaction also drew a number of complaints in the Uzbek-language segment of social media.
Registan Square was built under the Timurids and the Ashtarkhanids, and Iranian craftsmen took part in its construction. The Iranian diplomats, however, did not explain why they compared the square in Samarkand to Persian heritage.
