US munition likely hit Iranian wedding in strike, analysis shows

The deadly strike on a wedding in southern Iran earlier this week was likely a direct hit by a US munition, Reuters reports, citing its own analysis.

The strike on Kuhestak, Hormozgan Province on Tuesday left five people dead and nearly 70 wounded. The Iranian authorities said the victims were three women and two children aged 4 and 16.

Four weapons experts who reviewed images and videos verified by Reuters said the damage was inconsistent with debris or a ricochet from another target. Three concluded that the munition was likely American rather than an errant Iranian air-defense missile, while one suggested that it may have missed its intended target.

Two US officials confirmed to the outlet that US forces specifically targeted a telecommunications tower around 135 meters from the wedding site. Weapons experts previously cited by AP and the New York Times identified recovered fragments as belonging to a US air-delivered guided munition, most likely a JSOW.

US Vice President J.D. Vance said on Thursday that Washington is investigating the incident. “We’re investigating it because obviously we care. We want to know,” he told reporters. The US military said it does not target civilians and has not accepted responsibility for the strike.