The United States military is conducting an internal review into whether an American munition struck a wedding gathering in Kuhestak, southern Iran, killing five people and wounding dozens. Vice President JD Vance confirmed the inquiry on Thursday, while Reuters reported on Friday that four weapons experts who examined verified images and video judged the damage consistent with a direct hit rather than debris or a ricochet from another target.
The explosion hit the Mallahi family compound on Tuesday night as women and children waited for a bride and groom to arrive, according to an Associated Press team that visited the coastal town on Friday. Iranian authorities and the Iranian Red Crescent reported that five people died and at least 67 were wounded. AP identified the dead as a four-year-old boy, a 16-year-old, two women and a fifth woman who died in hospital on Thursday.
Kuhestak lies in Hormozgan province beside the Strait of Hormuz, about 30 kilometres from Minab. The blast occurred during renewed American attacks along Iran's southern coast. U.S. officials told Axios that forces had targeted a communications tower in the area that served both civilian and military functions, but the Pentagon has not publicly released findings or confirmed that an American weapon hit the home.
Reuters said its experts found the building's penetration damage and fragments visible at the scene compatible with an air-launched U.S. weapon. AP reported that relatives described successive explosions and documented heavy damage, abandoned wedding decorations and funerals in the town. These findings independently support the need for scrutiny, although neither news organization can determine the targeting decision or intent behind the strike.
Vance said the United States investigates possible mistakes so its military can learn from them, while also expressing skepticism about Iranian accounts. Central Command earlier said it was aware of reports of civilian casualties and stressed that U.S. forces do not deliberately target civilians. Iranian officials have blamed Washington and described the attack as a war crime, a characterization the United States has not accepted.
The review will face pressure to establish which weapon caused the blast, what intelligence guided the operation and whether civilian-harm safeguards failed. Its credibility may depend on whether the Pentagon releases evidence and conclusions. For families in Kuhestak, the immediate consequences are already clear, while the incident adds new concern about civilian protection in the six-month conflict and around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
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