Five people were killed when an explosion struck a wedding celebration in southern Iran, with an analysis of the available evidence suggesting that the blast may have resulted from a direct hit by a US munition. The United States has not acknowledged responsibility for the incident and has said it is investigating the circumstances. Iranian media have also attributed the deadly explosion to a US strike, while questions remain over exactly what caused the blast.
The explosion occurred at a wedding gathering in a residential area of Kuhestak, killing three women and two children, according to reports. Images and videos from the scene were reviewed by weapons experts, who found that the pattern of destruction was consistent with a direct strike rather than damage caused by a munition that had first hit another target. The assessment has intensified scrutiny of US military operations in Iran and the potential risks to civilians.
US Vice President JD Vance said the administration was investigating the incident and acknowledged that Washington wanted to establish what had happened. Vance said that if US forces made mistakes, the military would examine them and seek to prevent similar incidents in the future. His comments came as the Trump administration faces questions over civilian casualties during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Also Read: US Investigating Strategic Airstrike Following Iran Wedding Party Attack Claims, Says Vance
The US military said it was aware of reports about the wedding blast and maintained that American forces do not target civilians. A US official said investigators were examining several possible explanations, including whether the deaths were caused directly by a US attack, debris from another strike, a ricochet involving an Iranian air-defence missile or a defensive interceptor that veered off course.
Weapons experts who examined visual evidence of the incident reached a different assessment. Three of the experts considered a US weapon more likely than an Iranian air-defence missile that had gone off course, while one suggested that the munition may have failed to hit its intended target. The findings do not by themselves establish who launched the munition, but they add weight to claims that the wedding site was directly struck rather than accidentally damaged by debris.
The incident has added to pressure on the Trump administration as the conflict continues and civilian casualties remain a major concern. It also follows an earlier missile strike on a primary school in Iran that Iranian authorities said killed more than 175 children and teachers, with a previous US military assessment reportedly indicating that American forces were likely responsible. The Pentagon has not publicly released the findings of that investigation, leaving the circumstances surrounding the latest wedding blast under continued examination.
Also Read: Tragedy in Kuhestak: Child and Teenager Among Victims of U.S. Missile Strike