A US missile strike targeted a home hosting a wedding party in the southern Iranian port area of Kuhestak, in Sirik county, killing at least four to five people, including children, and injuring between 50 and 67 others, Iranian sources reported [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The incident occurred during a broader US air campaign targeting Iranian military infrastructure in the region, including air defense sites, radar installations, maritime assets, and communications towers near Sirik [3, 5].
Iranian state media reported that the dead included two women and two children, with more than 60 wounded. Other accounts cited five dead and between 50 and 67 injured, with about 50 of the wounded being women and children [1, 2, 3, 5]. Iranian officials condemned the strike, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei saying, "This cruelty cannot be separated from the chain of atrocities that preceded it" [3].
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed it is investigating the reports of civilian casualties at the wedding but has not confirmed responsibility for the deaths. Captain Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesman, said, "We're aware of the reports, which originated from Iranian state media, and we are looking into them. The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC" [5].
Vice President JD Vance added, "We're investigating it because obviously we care. We want to know, and if we do make mistakes, again, this is a big difference between us and Iran. When our military makes mistakes, they learn from them to try to get better from them" [5].
The strikes began on September 1 or early September 2 as part of an air campaign against Iranian military sites near Sirik. During these strikes, a missile hit the home in Kuhestak where the wedding was taking place [3, 5]. On September 2, Iranian authorities publicly accused the US of bombing the wedding, citing casualties and injuries [2, 3, 4]. CENTCOM announced its internal review on September 3 [5].
Previous US strikes on the first day of the conflict reportedly caused over 150 civilian deaths in Iran [3, 5]. The investigation into the wedding party strike seeks to clarify the incident and draw lessons from any errors.
The inquiry by US Central Command is ongoing, with further details expected as the review progresses.
