The US military is investigating claims from Iran that a missile strike killed at least four people, including two children, at a wedding in southern Iran. Vice-President JD Vance stated that the US would look into the incident, which occurred on Tuesday in Sirik. The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) reported that shrapnel from a missile hit the ceremony, leading Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei to label it a "war crime."
On the same day, US missiles were fired in response to attempted attacks by Iran on American forces, but a spokesperson from US Central Command stated that the military "never targets civilians." Vance expressed skepticism regarding the Iranian reports, noting that Iranian state media has not been reliable in its coverage of the conflict.
In retaliation for the alleged strike, Iran has reportedly launched new attacks on US bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The IRCS reported that 67 individuals were injured in the incident, with four confirmed fatalities. Iranian state media later reported that a fifth victim, a 22-year-old woman, died in the hospital shortly after the event. The deceased were identified locally as Zarkhatoon Taheri, 50; Kolsum Mallahi Nazhdnia, 43; Mohammad Mallahi, 16; and Amirali Karimi, 4.
BBC Verify confirmed the existence of a video and two images from the site, showing damage to a telecommunications tower and nearby houses approximately 130 meters north of the tower. BBC Persian Forensics indicated that the tower was about 112 meters from the wedding venue. The ongoing conflict with Iran has persisted for over six months since a joint US-Israel attack on the country on February 28.