US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: A wedding celebration in southern Iran has become the centre of a new dispute between Washington and Tehran after a strike hit a residential building where dozens of people had gathered. The incident left at least five people dead and nearly 70 injured, according to Iranian officials, while the United States has opened an investigation into what happened.
US Vice President JD Vance confirmed the probe during a White House briefing on September 3, saying Washington wants to establish whether American forces made a mistake. His comments came as Iranian officials accused the United States of striking a civilian gathering and demanded international action.
The incident took place in Kuhestak in Sirik county, southern Iran, during a wedding celebration. The US military has said it does not target civilians, while Iran has described the incident as a possible war crime. Reuters’ subsequent analysis of verified images and videos found that the damage was likely caused by a direct hit from a US munition, adding another layer of scrutiny to the US investigation.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: JD Vance Confirms US Investigation
Vance said the US government was looking into the reports instead of immediately accepting or rejecting Iran’s account.
“We’re investigating it because obviously we care. We want to know,” Vance told reporters during the White House briefing on September 3.
He also argued that the US military investigates possible mistakes and uses those findings to improve future operations.
“If we do make mistakes, again, this is a big difference between us and Iran, when our military makes mistakes, they learn from them to try to get better from them,” Vance added.
Vance also expressed scepticism about information coming from Iranian state media. However, the US military has acknowledged that it knows about the reports and said it is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the incident.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: What Happened at the Iran Wedding?
The reported strike occurred at a house in Kuhestak, a coastal area in Sirik county in southern Iran.
According to Iranian officials and the Iranian Red Crescent Society, dozens of people had gathered at the residence for a wedding when an explosion struck the area.
Iran initially reported four deaths and dozens of injuries. Iranian state television later reported that a 22-year-old woman died in hospital, taking the reported death toll to five.
The Iranian Red Crescent said 67 people were injured, while other reports have put the number of injured at nearly 70. The victims included children, according to reports from the area.
Images and videos released after the explosion showed a badly damaged building, shattered windows and debris around the site. The Iranian Red Crescent also released images showing injured people receiving treatment at a hospital.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Reuters Analysis Points to Possible Direct US Munition
The incident has gained further attention after a Reuters investigation examined images and videos from the scene.
Weapons experts consulted by Reuters concluded that the damage was likely caused by a direct hit from a US munition rather than an Iranian air-defence missile or a ricochet. Reuters reported that the weapon was likely a 500-pound air-dropped bomb.
The wedding site was reportedly close to a telecommunications tower that the US had targeted during its wider military operation. The analysis has increased pressure for a detailed investigation into whether the strike hit the intended target or caused unintended civilian casualties.
The US government has not publicly confirmed that an American munition struck the wedding venue.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: What Did Iran Say About the Strike?
Iranian officials strongly condemned the incident.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, described the reported attack as a “war crime” and accused Washington of deliberately striking civilians.
“The truth of this unlawful war of choice – and the true face of the war crime – is in Sirik, where a wedding ceremony was brutally bombed as part of America’s desperate struggle to conceal its failure,” Baghaei wrote on X.
Tehran has maintained that the site was a civilian location and that the presence of wedding guests made the incident particularly serious under international humanitarian law.
The Iranian Red Crescent also sent a letter to the International Criminal Court seeking legal action over the reported attack.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Iranian Red Crescent Seeks International Investigation
The Iranian Red Crescent called for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the strike.
“Given the reported civilian character of the location as the venue of a family wedding ceremony, as well as the presence of civilians at the site, the incident raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law and warrants an independent, impartial, thorough, and effective investigation,” the IRCS letter was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.
The organisation said the attack raised questions about civilian protection during the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
The injured were taken to a hospital in nearby Minab. Reza Shahidiyan, governor of Sirik county, said the injured were “in stable condition”, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: What Did CENTCOM Say?
US Central Command has denied that American forces intentionally target civilians.
CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins told the BBC that the military was aware of Iranian reports about the incident.
“The US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC,” he added.
The US military said its recent operations in Iran targeted military-related infrastructure following what it described as attempted attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against American forces and commercial shipping.
Those operations came amid a wider escalation around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Why Was the US Striking Iran?
The wedding incident occurred during another major escalation in the US-Iran conflict.
The US military said its latest operations targeted Iranian air-defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communication facilities.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against US-linked targets across the Middle East, including locations in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain, according to reports.
The fighting has also put renewed pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil and gas shipments normally travels.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Civilian Casualties Add Pressure on Washington
The wedding strike has added another difficult issue for the Trump administration as fighting with Iran continues.
The US government has repeatedly said that its military operations focus on military targets and that it does not intentionally attack civilians. At the same time, the deaths at the wedding have raised questions about targeting decisions and the risk to people living near military or communications infrastructure.
Reuters’ analysis suggesting a direct US munition hit the wedding site could make the forthcoming investigation particularly important.
The incident has also intensified debate over the civilian cost of the conflict, with Iranian officials using the deaths to strengthen their accusations against Washington.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Vance Says US Will Examine Possible Mistakes
For now, the circumstances surrounding the strike remain under investigation by the United States.
Vance’s comments indicate that Washington wants to determine whether the reported civilian casualties resulted from an error during a military operation. His statement also reflects the administration’s effort to distinguish between intentional attacks on civilians and unintended casualties during combat.
Iran, meanwhile, continues to demand accountability and has called for international legal scrutiny.
The investigation could therefore become an important test of Washington’s claims about civilian protection as the US-Iran conflict continues to escalate.
