US Investigating Alleged Missile Strike on Iranian Wedding
Vice‑President J.D. Vance announced that the U.S. military is examining claims that a U.S. missile may have struck a wedding in the town of Sirik, in southern Iran, resulting in the deaths of at least four people, including two children.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that shrapnel from an Iranian‑launched missile reportedly hit the ceremony, for which Iran’s foreign ministry declared a "war crime." The victims were named locally as Zarkhatoon Taheri (50), Kolsum Mallahi Nazhdnia (43), 16‑year‑old Mohammad Mallahi, and 4‑year‑old Amirali Karimi.
U.S. Central Command officials maintain that U.S. forces have fired missiles only in response to Iranian attacks on American forces and that the U.S. never targets civilians. The U.S. remains committed to investigating the incident.
Vance said, "I am extremely skeptical of the Iranian state media narratives regarding this conflict," and confirmed a U.S. investigation would be undertaken. He added that Iran had launched subsequent attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Independent verification by BBC showed footage of a telecommunications tower destroyed near the wedding venue and surrounding houses damaged within a 130‑meter radius, corroborating reports of missile impact. The tower was approximately 112 m from the wedding location. These findings suggest that a strike in the area could have contributed to the casualties.
The dispute over the strike continues amid broader tensions between the United States and Iran. The conflict, which escalated after the U.S. and Israel launched a joint 28‑February attack on Iranian forces, now includes flare‑up incidents such as the wedding raid, further underlining the volatile nature of the region.
