TEHRAN -- Iran has broken its cultural links with the Louvre as the museum continued to renege on agreements with the country.

The decision to cut ties with the Louvre was announce by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization Director Hamid Baqaii during a press conference on Monday.
“According to an agreement with the Louvre years ago, the museum promised to organize an exhibition to display a collection of its Persian artifacts in Iran, but it has not fulfilled its commitments,” he said.
In January, Baqaii had threatened to break its cultural links with France if the Louvre continues to renege on agreements with Iran.
“The Louvre officials must give an exact date and details for an exhibition of its Persian artifacts in Iran before the end of the (Iranian) year (March 21), otherwise we will cut our cultural relations with France,” he had threatened.
Iran loaned artifacts from the Safavid-era (1501–1736) for “The Song of the World” exhibition, which was held at the Louvre from October 5, 2007 to January 7, 2008.
Baqaii said that the Louvre had promised to organize an exhibit in Iran to showcase a collection of its Persian artifacts instead.
In January 2010, Iran threatened to cut cultural ties with the British Museum after it postponed loaning the Cyrus Cylinder for a show at the National Museum of Iran.
It seemed that the warning produced a positive outcome as the British Museum sent the Cyrus Cylinder for the show in September 2010.