US Investigating Alleged Missile Strike on Iranian Wedding, Vance Says

The U.S. military is investigating claims that its missiles killed at least four people, including two children, during a wedding ceremony in southern Iran, Vice‑President JD Vance confirmed on Thursday.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said shrapnel from a missile hit the ceremony at a home in Sirik on Tuesday, prompting the foreign ministry to label it a “war crime.”

U.S. missiles were fired that same day in response to Iranian “attempted attacks” on American forces. A Central Command spokesperson emphasized that the U.S. “never targets civilians.”

Vance said he was “extremely skeptical” of the reports but confirmed that a U.S. inquiry would proceed: “I know that we’re investigating.”

Iran has launched fresh attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in response to the alleged strike.

According to the IRCS, 67 people were injured when shrapnel hit a wedding ceremony, killing at least four people. Iranian state media reported a fifth person—a 22‑year‑old woman—died in hospital shortly after the attack. The victims were named as Zarkhatoon Taheri (50), Kolsum Mallahi Nazhdnia (43), Mohammad Mallahi (16), and Amirali Karimi (4).

Remains of a building hosting a wedding ceremony after a U.S. airstrike
Remains of a building that hosted the wedding ceremony, as distributed by the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

BBC Verify confirmed a video and two images taken on Tuesday near Kuhestak’s coast that showed a telecommunications tower being destroyed; other footage from the same and following days displayed severely damaged houses roughly 130 m (427 ft) north of the tower. BBC Persian Forensics determined the tower was about 112 m (367 ft) from the house hosting the wedding.

The fighting between the United States and Iran has persisted for over half a year, following the joint U.S.–Israeli strike on 28 February.