The United States is investigating strikes that killed five people, including a child and two women, during a wedding celebration in the southern Iranian town of Kuhestak, according to U.S. Vice President JD Vance. The incident occurred Tuesday evening amid a series of U.S. bombardments targeting air defenses, radar systems, and maritime assets in southern Iran.
Women and children were gathered in a house and yard in Kuhestak, a town overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, for a wedding when explosions struck. A weapons expert who reviewed images from the scene suggested the strikes were carried out with American guided bombs.
Ali Mallahi, a cousin of the bride, described the scene at the Mallahi family compound, which was hit by multiple strikes. He pointed to a damaged room where women were preparing for dinner. "Thank God, the casualties were not higher," he said, noting that the bride and groom had not yet arrived. Approximately 150 women were in one building, with men celebrating separately nearby.
Another strike hit a communications tower near the town's port, disrupting telephone and internet services in the area. The Hormozgan provincial telecommunications department confirmed that U.S. attacks had affected services, though mobile and data services were restored by Friday.
Residents described powerful explosions that lit up the night sky. Images of munitions fragments found at the scene, including a thermal battery unit and parts of a control fin and exterior body, were shared by residents and Iranian media. Weapons experts told the Associated Press that these fragments appear to be from American guided munitions, potentially a JSOW or GBU-39 glide bomb. U.S. Central Command released videos showing aircraft, including an F/A-18E loaded with a JSOW, on missions that night.
Vice President Vance stated on Thursday that he had been briefed on the wedding attack. "We're investigating it very fully," he said, adding, "We never target civilians in combat but... sometimes things happen."