TASHKENT, October 25. /Dunyo IA/. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan summoned Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Ali Eskandari and handed him a note of protest over posts by Iranian diplomatic missions on social media platform X, which the Uzbek side viewed as distorting Samarkand’s historical and cultural heritage, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

According to the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan, the Iranian side was informed of Tashkent’s strong disagreement with the posts, which it considers to contain one-sided and politicized interpretations of the city’s historical and cultural heritage.

The controversy was prompted by posts from the Iranian embassies in Armenia and Zimbabwe, which shared images of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio against the backdrop of Registan Square in Samarkand. The posts claimed that the architectural arches of historical monuments were characteristic features of the “Iranian-Islamic civilization.”

MFA of Uzbekistan emphasized that the heritage of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and other historic cities of the country had developed over many centuries, reflecting the history, traditions of statehood and cultural development of the Uzbek people.

The Uzbek side demanded that the disputed posts be removed and that similar incidents not be repeated in the future. At the same time, the ministry noted that Uzbekistan values its relations with Iran, which are based on mutual respect and trust, and will continue to firmly uphold its position on matters concerning its historical and cultural heritage.