U.S. Launches Investigation After Iranian Wedding Allegedly Hit by Missile

Sun Sep 06 2026 05:00:08 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

U.S. Vice‑President JD Vance says the U.S. will investigate claims that a missile strike killed four people at a wedding in southern Iran, amid escalating tensions.

Vice‑President JD Vance announced the U.S. military is probing reports that an Iranian wedding in Sirik was struck by a missile, killing four and injuring many. The Iranian Red Crescent called the incident a war crime and named the victims, while Iranian officials warned of retaliation. U.S. forces had launched missiles earlier that day over alleged Iranian attacks on American bases, asserting they never target civilians. Vance expressed scepticism about the coverage but confirmed an official inquiry. The conflict has intensified since the U.S. and Israel launched a joint operation against Iran in February, and recent images support claims of significant damage near the wedding site.

U.S. Launches Investigation After Iranian Wedding Allegedly Hit by Missile

Vice‑President JD Vance said on Thursday that the U.S. military is looking into reports that a missile strike killed four people, including two children, at a wedding in Sirik, southern Iran.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) released a handout claiming shrapnel from a missile hit the ceremony, characterising it as a war crime. Iranian foreign‑ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also labelled the incident as such.

U.S. Central Command officials noted that U.S. missiles had been fired that same day in response to alleged Iranian attacks on American forces, emphasising that the U.S. never targets civilians.

Vance told a White House briefing he was "extremely sceptical" of the claim but confirmed the U.S. would investigate. He added that Iran had launched new attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation.

The IRCS said 67 people were injured when shrapnel struck a family wedding; the group listed the four fatalities as Zarkhatoon Taheri (50), Kolsum Mallahi Nazhdnia (43), Mohammad Mallahi (16) and Amirali Karimi (4). Iranian state media added that a 22‑year‑old woman later died in hospital.

BBC Verify confirmed a video from Tuesday near Kuhestak’s coast showed a telecommunications tower destroyed, and other footage showed houses heavily damaged 130 m north of the tower. BBC Persian Forensics measured the tower at 112 m from the wedding site.

The U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict has raged for over six months since the joint strike on Iran on 28 February, with the latest events adding to the growing tensions between Tehran and Washington.