Iran accuses US of bombing wedding party in Sirik, resulting in five deaths

Iran has accused the United States of bombing a house during a wedding celebration in the southern county of Sirik, resulting in at least five fatalities, including a child. Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the attack occurred early on Wednesday in the city of Kuhestak. The state-owned Press TV reported the death toll. Reza Shahidiyan, the governor of Sirik county, informed the IRIB state broadcaster that 63 others were wounded, with 50 of the injured being women and children. All wounded individuals were transported to a hospital in the nearby city of Minab and were reported to be in stable condition. The semi-official Fars news agency published an account from a child who survived the blast, who described hearing fighter jets before the explosion and stated that many civilians were injured. The reports emerged as the US military announced a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets, citing attempted attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military reported hitting Iranian air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites. These strikes followed a weekend exchange of fire amid ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded since the start of the US and Israel’s conflict with the country on February 28. Baghaei indicated that Iran would respond to the US’s recent actions, linking them to previous attacks in Minab and Lamerd, where significant casualties were reported. Additionally, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported further explosions in southern Iran, including in Konarak, Bandar Abbas, and on Qeshm Island. Iran’s military claimed to have retaliated by attacking US bases and assets in Jordan, Bahrain, and Iraq, while Kuwait reported intercepting drones.