An explosion that ripped through a wedding celebration in southern Iran on Tuesday, killing four people and injuring at least 68 others, likely resulted from a direct hit by a US munition and not a ricochet off another target, according to an analysis by weapons experts who reviewed images and video verified by Reuters.
The incident in the small town of Kuhestak has reignited concerns about the civilian toll in the US war with Iran and marks the most dramatic case since a missile struck an Iranian primary school in February, killing scores of children and teachers inside.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) had announced its forces carried out multiple strikes across Iran’s south on September 1, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defense sites, radar systems, and communications facilities. The barrage came in retaliation for earlier Iranian attacks on US military assets around the Gulf.
CENTCOM is conducting its own review of the incident, Axios reported on Thursday night.
On Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance said the United States was investigating the strike. "We're investigating it because obviously we care. We want to know," Vance said during a White House press briefing.
