Iran has accused the United States of committing a war crime following a missile strike that officials say killed four people, including two children, at a wedding celebration. The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) reported that shrapnel from a missile struck a family wedding ceremony in southern Iran, resulting in the fatalities. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei referred to the incident as a "war crime." A spokesperson for the US Central Command (Centcom) stated that the US "never targets civilians" and acknowledged awareness of the reports.
Iranian authorities reported that an additional 14 people were killed in other incidents. In retaliation, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting US locations in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Bahrain. Most of these attacks were reportedly intercepted. In Kuwait, a drone caused a fire in a residential complex but did not result in casualties.
Centcom indicated that the strikes on Iran were in response to recent attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against American forces and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil and gas shipments. The Iranian military's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that operations against American forces in the region would persist until the US "regrets" its actions.
A photo distributed by the IRCS purportedly shows the remains of the building where the wedding took place. US President Donald Trump described the strikes on Iran as "large and powerful." Centcom confirmed that the targets included air defense sites, radar systems, and maritime assets.
Iranian media reported explosions in the southern provinces of Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Kerman, and Khuzestan. The IRCS confirmed that four people were killed and 67 others were injured when shrapnel hit the wedding ceremony in Kuhestak, Sirik. The deceased were identified as Zarkhatoon Taheri, 50; Kolsum Mallahi Nazhdnia, 43; Mohammad Mallahi, 16; and Amirali Karimi, 4.
Ali Mallahi, the father of the bride and owner of the building, expressed his sorrow in a video broadcast by state TV, stating, "Unfortunately, this is a residential building. And unfortunately, this happened during my daughter's wedding ceremony. It is a very saddening incident... Thank God the casualties were not higher."
Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, characterized the attack as evidence of the US being "Satan." BBC Verify confirmed that videos taken near Kuhestak showed damage to a telecommunications tower and severely damaged houses nearby.
Centcom spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins reiterated that the US military does not target civilians, contrasting this with the actions of the IRGC. Iranian state media reported additional fatalities from US strikes in Khuzestan, including four members of the IRGC's aerospace force and three members of the Basij Resistance Force.
In retaliation for the US strikes, the IRGC and Iranian military announced the launch of ballistic missiles and drones towards US bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and the UAE. They claimed these attacks caused casualties and damage at the US Marine barracks at Camp Titin in Jordan, although US officials reported no casualties.
The Jordanian Armed Forces stated they intercepted 13 ballistic missiles, destroying 10, while three fell in uninhabited areas. The IRGC also claimed destruction of US military assets in Irbil, Iraq, though Iraqi authorities did not comment on the attack.
In a separate incident, the IRGC reported that two tankers caught fire after hitting mines while being guided through an "illegal route" in the Strait of Hormuz by the US military. Saudi Arabia's national shipping company reported two fatalities involving its tanker SIDR during a security incident in the waterway.
Following a month-long pause, the US resumed military actions against Iran, striking two rocket launchers to prevent them from being used to lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated by targeting air bases in Jordan and launching a drone at the UAE.
The US and Israel had previously conducted a joint attack on Iran, resulting in significant casualties among Iranian leadership. A memorandum of understanding signed in June aimed to end hostilities and address Iran's nuclear program, but it collapsed shortly after, leading to renewed conflict.
Both US and Iranian forces have since engaged in actions against commercial shipping in the region, with Iran targeting vessels it claims are transiting without permission and the US enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Recently, the US indicated a shift towards economic sanctions on Iran rather than military options to achieve concessions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have largely dismissed these sanctions as a continuation of previous measures.
An earlier version of this report incorrectly identified missile fragments shown on Iranian media as being from a US munition. Experts have since suggested they are more likely from a different US weapon, although the possibility remains that they are from a SLAM-ER.