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US Vice President JD Vance said Washington was investigating reports that a US airstrike in southern Iran struck a wedding party, killing civilians, as Tehran and Washington traded attacks in the biggest escalation of the conflict in more than a month. Vance told reporters on Thursday that the US was looking into the reports surrounding the strike.
“We're investigating it because obviously we care. We want to know,” Vance said.
"If we do make mistakes, again, this is a big difference between us and Iran, when our military makes mistakes, they learn from them to try to get better from them," Reuters quoted Vance.
IRAN REPORTS FIVE DEAD, NEARLY 70 INJURED
Iranian state television said a 22-year-old woman died in hospital following the strike, taking the reported death toll to five. Iranian officials said nearly 70 people were wounded.
The strike reportedly hit a home during a wedding ceremony in Kuhestak village in Sirik County, along Iran's Strait of Hormuz coast.
MOURNERS ATTEND FUNERAL FOR WEDDING VICTIMS
Mourners gathered on Thursday for the funeral of four victims. Footage showed coffins being carried through the village, while mourners threw petals into the air.
Iranian media reported that one of the victims was a four-year-old child.
A local resident told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that the strike had turned a wedding celebration into mourning.
US SAYS IT NEVER TARGETS CIVILIANS
The US military said it was aware of Iranian reports about the incident but maintained that it “never targets civilians”.
Washington carried out heavy airstrikes on Tuesday, targeting what it described as military sites along Iran's coast in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
VANCE SAYS FIGHTING IS NOT A WAR
Separately, Vance said he would not describe the fighting between the US and Iran as a war, despite the conflict entering its seventh month and renewed attacks this week.
“I wouldn't call it a war,” Vance said. “Right now there's no active shooting. I recognize there's been places where this has flared up.”
He said the US had ended major combat operations with Iran and was now focused on preventing Tehran from disrupting commercial oil shipping.
US RULES OUT TALKS AMID SHIPPING ATTACKS
Vance declined to provide a timeline for the end of the conflict, saying the situation depended on when Iran stopped targeting commercial vessels.
“When will the Iranians stop shooting at ships? I think the reality is I don't know the answer to that question,” he said.
He also ruled out negotiations with Tehran as long as Iran continued targeting commercial shipping.
IRAN LAUNCHES ATTACKS ON US BASES
Iran responded with attacks on US bases across Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Tehran launched further missiles and drones early on Thursday, targeting another US base in Kuwait.
Kuwait's military said its air defences intercepted the missiles and drones.
The escalation sent oil prices higher, with Brent crude futures rising above $96 a barrel on Thursday amid concerns over the conflict's impact on global energy supplies.
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Published By:
Zafar Zaidi
Published On:
Sep 4, 2026 03:20 IST
