Experts believe that a wedding bomb in southern Iran was likely a direct hit by an American bomb

Published 3 September 2026

Last updated 2 hours ago

Reading time: 8 minutes

Weapons experts, based on photos and video clips verified by Reuters, suggested that a house that was hosting a wedding party in southern Iran was directly hit by American ammunition, and not as a result of a shell ricocheting off another target, while Washington said it was investigating the incident.

The strike, which occurred on Tuesday evening in the coastal town of Kohstak, in Sirik Province, overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, brought to light the losses among civilians as a result of the war that has been going on for six months.

Iranian sources said that four people were killed in the strike and at least 68 others were injured. Then, on Thursday, Iranian state television announced the death of a 22-year-old woman in the hospital from her wounds, bringing the announced death toll to five dead.

The strike came as part of a wide wave of US raids on southern Iran, which US Central Command said targeted air defense sites, radar and communications systems belonging to the Revolutionary Guard, in response to previous Iranian attacks that targeted US military assets and commercial shipping in the Gulf region.

What does a wedding website analysis reveal?

Reuters showed photos and video clips from the strike site, after verification, to four weapons and explosives experts. Experts said that the nature of the damage was consistent with a direct hit with a munition that exploded when it touched the roof of the house or just above it, and not with secondary damage resulting from a shell bouncing off another target.

Three of them believed that the ammunition was American, ruling out that the house was destroyed by a stray Iranian missile from an air defense system.

Gareth Collett, a retired brigadier general in the British Army who specializes in explosives engineering, said the overall evidence suggests the use of a 500-pound American airborne bomb. He added that munitions may sometimes miss their targets, even when using advanced guidance systems.

Trevor Ball, a weapons technician who formerly served in the US Army, said that the apparent damage could not have been caused by shrapnel from the strike that targeted a communications tower close to the house.

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Iranian media showed parts of munitions that they said were found in the area. Paul identified some of the remains as belonging to a JSOW slide bomb used by the US military, but Reuters was unable to verify that those parts were collected from the house that hosted the wedding.

Telecommunications tower 135 meters away

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Two US officials told Reuters that the US military carried out strikes in the Kohstak area on September 1, and that a communications tower in the town was among the targets.

The tower is located about 135 meters from the wedding site, according to satellite images, and was hit around 9:30 pm local time, according to Iranian media.

One of the officials said that the US government is considering several possibilities to explain the casualties, including an American strike, the rebound of an Iranian air defense missile, or the deviation of an interceptor missile from its course.

On the other hand, Iranian media quoted the communications authorities in Hormozgan Province as saying that the tower is a civilian facility that provides mobile phone, landline and Internet services to the residents of Sirik Province.

Pictures verified by Reuters showed bloodstained shoes and wedding decorations scattered among the rubble. A witness said in a voice message he sent shortly after the strike that a number of homes were damaged and that people were trapped under the rubble.

According to the Human Rights Documentation Network in Balochistan and the “Halush” organization, which monitors the human rights situation in Iranian Balochistan, among the dead were three wedding guests: Kulsoum Malahi Najandaniya, 43 years old, Zarkhatoon Taheri, 50 years old, and the child Amir Muhammad Karimi, 4 years old. Mohamed Malahi, 16 years old, was also killed while riding his motorcycle near the communications tower.

Human rights organizations in contact with residents of the area said that local authorities pressured witnesses not to speak to foreign media. Reuters contacted residents through intermediaries, and they spoke on condition of anonymity.

Washington is investigating and Vance questions the Iranian story

US Vice President J.D. Vance said on Thursday that the United States is investigating the incident because it wants to know what happened, adding that the US military learns from its mistakes if they occur.

But at the same time, he expressed his skepticism about the Iranian reports, and said that the Iranian official media was not a reliable source for what happened during the conflict so far.

The US Army said that it is aware of the reports and is investigating them, stressing that it does not target civilians. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The incident brings to mind a strike that destroyed a primary school in the city of Minab on February 28, hours after the start of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Iranian officials said the strike killed more than 175 children and teachers.

The Pentagon has not publicly published the results of its investigation into the school strike, which is the largest incident in which civilian casualties were caused by US military fire in decades. But Reuters reported in March that a preliminary internal US military investigation suggested that US forces were responsible.

Burying the victims and vowing revenge

On Thursday, Kohstak residents mourned the victims of the strike. Scenes showed crowds carrying a coffin and pictures of the dead, while women wearing black abayas and red traditional masks threw flowers on the coffin of the child, Amir Muhammad Karimi.

A witness said the residents of Serik were still in shock. Ali Mallahi, the bride's father, also said in a recording broadcast on Iranian television that what happened was a painful accident, expressing his gratitude that the number of victims was not greater.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander Ahmed Vahidi vowed to avenge the victims, saying that their blood “will not be in vain.”

Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf also attacked the United States because of the strike, while residents expressed their dissatisfaction with the return of hostilities and called for the resumption of negotiations, saying that the Iranians are the ones paying the highest price.

Iran targets American bases in the Gulf

The wedding strike came amid the largest escalation between the United States and Iran in more than a month. On Thursday, Iran announced that it had targeted American assets at Ahmed Al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait with missiles and drones.

The Kuwaiti army said that its air defenses intercepted Iranian missiles and drones, while Kuwait described the attacks as a grave violation of the rules of international law.

The Iranian army also announced that it targeted Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE, but Abu Dhabi did not report a similar attack.

On Wednesday, the Revolutionary Guard announced that it had targeted American bases and forces in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in addition to sites in the Emirates.

The Jordanian army said that its air defenses dealt with 13 ballistic missiles that entered the Kingdom's airspace, shooting down ten of them, while three fell in uninhabited areas, without recording injuries or damage.

Iran reported that the latest wave of US strikes killed 19 people. Tasnim News Agency said on Thursday that six members of the Iranian naval forces were killed in the attacks this week, without it being clear whether they were among the announced toll.

After the Iranian attacks on Kuwait, it seemed that the escalation had begun to subside, with no further major attacks recorded from either side during the subsequent hours of Thursday.

Netanyahu: The Iranian regime is “reeling”

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that overthrowing the Islamic Republic regime is “within reach,” considering that it is weaker than ever and is fighting for survival.

He added during an event with military leaders that he is convinced that the Iranian threat can be “removed permanently,” describing this as the central task that still awaits Israel.

Netanyahu said that Iran's failure to target Israel in the last round is not a coincidence, adding that Tehran is aware of Israel's strength, weapons, and determination.

Netanyahu is preparing to run in legislative elections that are expected to witness intense competition in late October.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that his country is ready to respond "with great force" if Iran attacks it during the Jewish holidays, which begin in mid-September, noting that Iran targeted sites throughout the region with the exception of Israel during the recent escalation.

Vance: I wouldn't describe the confrontation as a war

Vance refused to describe the current confrontation as a war, saying that there is currently no active shooting, while acknowledging that fighting has renewed in some areas.

He added that major combat operations continued for six weeks after the outbreak of the American-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.

Vance said that all tools to pressure the Iranian government - economic, military, diplomatic and secret - are still on the table.

On the other hand, Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, warned Washington that Tehran had adopted a “new strategy” in the war.

US President Donald Trump said that the new campaign would not last long, but he stressed Washington's readiness to launch another attack at any time.

He said that American forces destroyed radar systems, missiles, and new equipment that Iran was working to build near the Strait of Hormuz, including defensive and offensive equipment.

Reuters quoted four sources as saying that senior Trump aides are seeking to prevent an escalation of the war before the midterm congressional elections in November, to limit potential losses for Republicans, and that expanding military action will be reconsidered after the vote.

Opinion polls show that more than half of Americans oppose the war, while rising fuel prices and the continuation of the conflict have turned into a political challenge for the Trump administration before the elections.

Economic pressure and high oil prices

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that the expanded sanctions plan would impose "maximum pressure" on Iran.

Saudi Arabia condemned what it described as Iran's targeting of the tanker. On the other hand, the Revolutionary Guard said that two tankers tried to cross outside a navigation route designated by Iranian forces, before they collided with mines and fire broke out on board, according to its account.

Russian and Chinese positions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington will prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon, and that its primary tool for imposing a cost on Tehran is economic pressure, in addition to reserving the right to defend its interests in the region.

He added that Iran has lost complete control over the Strait of Hormuz, and that American forces destroyed mines and expanded shipping lanes, stressing that the Strait will remain open.

Regarding Moscow, Rubio said that there is no American-Russian consensus regarding Iran, but he considered that Russia’s preoccupation with the war in Ukraine limits its ability to provide support that hinders Washington’s action.

For his part, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow will continue to support Iran and develop its relations with it, stressing that Russia will maintain its relations with its partners and friends.

In Cairo, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Middle Eastern countries to oppose external interference and discuss establishing a new security structure for the region.