A wedding celebration in the city of Kuhestak, located in Iran’s Hormozgan province near the Strait of Hormuz, was struck by US military forces during an overnight operation. The attack, which also targeted a local telecommunications tower, has drawn sharp condemnation from Iranian authorities and prompted calls for international legal intervention.
The governor’s office in Hormozgan confirmed the deaths of four individuals: four-year-old Amir Ali Karimi, 16-year-old Mohammad Malahi, 43-year-old Kolsoum Malahi, and 43-year-old Zarkhatoun Taheri. Additionally, more than 60 people sustained injuries, with several reported to be in serious condition.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Tim Hawkins stated that the military is aware of reports regarding civilian casualties but noted these claims “originated from Iranian state media.” Hawkins further asserted, “The US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC,” referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Despite the lack of official operational details from the US, evidence from the site—including witness accounts, video footage, and debris—suggests multiple projectiles struck the area. Defense experts examining fragments recovered in Kuhestak suggest the munitions may be a variant of the AGM-84K SLAM-ER, an advanced precision-guided cruise missile manufactured by Boeing that is designed for surgical strikes.
Footage from the aftermath shows a direct hit on the roof of the wedding venue, leaving a 1.5-meter hole in the ground. Local residents and state media reported that the strike caused widespread destruction, including power outages and damage to adjacent homes. Ali Malahi, the owner of the targeted building, insisted that all those present were civilians and that the site was not near any military installations.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society has documented the scene, including the injuries sustained by children, and has formally petitioned the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to pursue legal action against those responsible for the attack.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the Kuhestak strike as part of a broader pattern of atrocities. Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei highlighted previous incidents, including the February 28 strike on an elementary school in Minab, which killed approximately 156 people, including many children. While CENTCOM claimed that school was situated on an active IRGC cruise missile base, the US military has not released findings from its investigation into the incident.
Another significant civilian casualty event occurred on the first day of the war in Lamerd, Fars province, where a missile strike on a sports hall killed 21 people, including four children. Independent investigations by several media outlets and analysts concluded that a US Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) was responsible for that attack, which utilized munitions designed to scatter thousands of tungsten pellets over a wide area.
Since the conflict began, both the US and Israel have targeted critical infrastructure across Iran, including energy facilities, transport hubs, and medical centers. According to local authorities, the total death toll has surpassed 3,500 people, a figure that includes more than 50 individuals killed during a 60-day truce that was interrupted by renewed hostilities in July. The report also notes that some seriously, more than 60 others were wounded. The report also notes that with some locals saying they believed drones were among the weapons used, footage showed that several projectiles struck a telecommunications tower located near the city’s shoreline and destroyed it. The report also notes that women’s and children’s slippers could be seen scattered around. The report also notes that with one penetrating through the roof and creating a 1.5-metre (5-foot) hole in the ground, a state television reporter said three US missiles were used in the attack. The report also notes that and the bombs caused massive explosions while they were arriving, a young local man wounded in the attack said he and others were heading towards the house when they heard jets flying above.