Iran Wedding Blast Kills Five; US Military Reviews Civilian Casualty Reports
An apparent explosion struck a wedding celebration in a coastal village in southern Iran on Tuesday night, killing at least five people and injuring dozens, according to Iran's Red Crescent humanitarian network. The casualties included a four-year-old child. The incident has prompted a review by the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM), which said it was looking into reports, though it has not confirmed any involvement.
The blast took place in Kuhestak, a village in Hormozgan province near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 350 guests had gathered across two homes for the wedding. Rescue workers searched through rubble as lights from the celebration remained on at the site. The Iranian Red Crescent said five people were killed and 67 others injured, but a later count in local accounts put the injured at at least 60.
The US Central Command issued a statement saying it was aware of the reports, which it said originated from Iranian state media, and that it was looking into them. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said, "The U.S. military never targets civilians." He did not confirm or deny that a US strike had occurred.
Witnesses described terrifying scenes. Zeinab Mallahi, a wedding guest, told Drop Site News that she heard women ululating in celebration moments before the roof of the living room and walls collapsed on the gathering. "I still hear the voices of the women who were ululating, and then suddenly the roof of the living room and the walls came down on us. That sound follows me from night into day and from day into night," she said.
According to guest accounts, one projectile struck the roof of a home, leaving a crater roughly 1.5 metres deep in the floor. Another hit a date palm, which fell against a wall. Guests screamed and ran in different directions as they tried to comprehend what was happening.
The bride's father, Ali Mallahi, a local fisherman, said the homes are in a purely residential area. "There were no military facilities nearby," he said. His initial thought was that a gas cylinder had exploded, but when he reached the other house and saw people running and debris, he realized the scale of the tragedy.
Those killed at the scene were identified as Amir Ali Karimi (4), Mohammad Mallahi (16), Kolsoom Mallahi Nezhadnia (43), and Zarkhatoun Taheri (50). Two days later, Asieh Molaeinezhad (22), who had been critically injured and in intensive care, died, bringing the death toll to five.
The incident has become one of the most significant civilian casualty events in the six-month conflict between the United States and Iran. US Vice President JD Vance told a White House briefing on Thursday that he had no new information but said the US "never targets civilians in combat" and that the incident would be investigated.
A Reuters investigation, however, suggested the blast was likely a direct hit by a US munition rather than a ricochet from another target. This finding has not been independently confirmed by US officials. CENTCOM's internal review is ongoing, and no definitive cause has been officially established.
Kuhestak lies in a region of strategic importance near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route that has seen heightened military activity during the conflict. The attack has renewed concerns about civilian protection in areas where both sides operate.
