The Iranian Red Crescent said on Tuesday that four people, including a child, were killed and more than 50 wounded when a US missile strike hit a residential house where a wedding celebration was taking place in southern Iran.
The organisation said in a post on X that shrapnel from a US missile attack struck a home in the city of Kuhestak, in Sirik County in Hormozgan province. "More than 50 people were injured and four people, including a young child, were martyred," the Red Crescent said.
Ahmad Nafisi, deputy governor of Hormozgan province, initially told state television that two people had been killed and several others wounded. Iranian state media broadcast footage purporting to show the aftermath, with images of extensive debris and damage at the site and people heard screaming in the background. Hormozgan's deputy governor for security affairs said the residential property had been struck, that rescue teams were sent to the area, and described the incident as a "war crime."
Sirik County lies along the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping routes and a major flashpoint in the conflict between the United States and Iran.
US strikes and stated rationale
The reported attack came as the US military launched a fresh wave of strikes against targets in Iran, ending a month-long lull in military action. The United States said it was carrying out strikes against targets of Iran's Revolutionary Guards following what it described as attempted attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region.
US Central Command said the latest strikes targeted Iranian air defence sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities. President Donald Trump said the strikes were carried out in response to Iran's alleged attempt to lay sea mines in the Strait and missile launches towards a US military base in Jordan.
On Tuesday, Iranian media reported explosions in multiple cities along and east of Hormuz as well as at an airport in the southern Kerman province. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks, with Iranian media reporting that ballistic missiles were launched towards Jordan, where US forces are based. Jordan said the missiles were intercepted, while the United Arab Emirates reported stopping an Iranian drone over its waters. Iranian news agency Tasnim later reported that Tehran had launched a "decisive operation," saying Iranian missiles and drones were targeting US bases and interests across the region.
Previous civilian toll in the province
The deaths come after another reported strike in Hormozgan province. The province had already buried 120 schoolchildren killed in a strike on Minab, an incident a preliminary US inquiry reportedly traced to an American targeting error. The Pentagon investigation into that strike is seven months old and has not been published.
Responses and warnings
President Trump warned Iran against retaliation, saying Tehran would face an even stronger response if it struck back. Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesman, Sardar Hossein Mohebi, said the United States would "regret its new attacks," warning that "severe punishment awaits the aggressors."
Iran has been at war with the United States since February 28, when US-Israeli strikes killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei along with senior military officials. Iran retaliated with attacks across the region. The initial bombardment campaign lasted nearly 40 days, but sporadic attacks mainly around Hormuz have continued, dimming prospects for a final peace agreement.
Strait of Hormuz concerns
The renewed fighting has raised fresh concerns over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil route. Iran has been working with Oman on a framework to manage shipping traffic, while Gulf countries have called for the strait to be reopened unconditionally.