Describing the incident as a war crime, Iran has called for an international investigation into the US strike. Washington, however, has denied allegations that the wedding ceremony was deliberately targeted.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, the two children killed in the strike were aged four and 16. Iranian state media and emergency officials reported that at least 68 people were injured.
Iranian officials said a wedding ceremony involving family members was taking place inside the house when the strike occurred. They described it as a completely civilian and private family gathering and alleged that women and children were among those killed and injured.
The Red Crescent said an independent international investigation was necessary and called for the matter to be investigated through the International Criminal Court (ICC). The organization alleged that striking a private family gathering could constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The strike reportedly took place in the Kuhestak area of Sirik County in southern Iran. The area is located near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
A local official initially reported that five people had been killed in the strike. Iranian authorities later revised the death toll to four.
US Vice President JD Vance, however, expressed doubts about Iran’s account of the incident. Asked about the allegation that a wedding ceremony had been targeted, Vance said he was highly skeptical of the claim.
The United States has not acknowledged targeting a wedding ceremony in the strike. Vance said the incident was being investigated and maintained that the US does not intentionally target civilians.
With Iran and the United States offering conflicting accounts regarding the actual target of the strike, the circumstances at the scene and the identities of those killed, calls for an independent investigation have gained further significance.
