Tehran has accused the U.S. of a war crime after a missile strike on a wedding party in southern Iran reportedly killed four people and injured dozens.

Tehran accused Washington on Wednesday of committing a war crime after a U.S. missile strike hit a wedding party in southern Iran the previous day. Local media reported the attack on a private coastal residence killed at least four people, including a 4-year-old and a 16-year-old, and injured approximately 68 others. U.S. Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins stated he was aware of the reports but maintained that the U.S. military does not target civilians.

Escalating Military Confrontation

The strike on the wedding party was part of a broader U.S. barrage targeting Iranian air defenses, radar systems, and communications sites. In response, Iranian forces launched missile and drone strikes against U.S. bases across the Persian Gulf, including locations in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Iranian military command warned that countries cooperating with the U.S. military would face consequences. This follows recent fighting that resulted in the deaths of four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' aerospace division in Kermanshah. U.S. President Donald Trump stated he is not seeking a new agreement with Iran, noting that the U.S. maintains control of the Hormuz Strait and that Iran's economy is collapsing.

Previous Allegations of Civilian Strikes

Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf compared the wedding strike to two incidents on February 28: a school strike in Minab that killed 156 people and dual strikes on a sports hall in Lamerd that killed at least 21. While a preliminary U.S. military investigation reportedly faulted the U.S. for the Minab incident and the nonprofit Airwars attributed the Lamerd attack to a U.S. missile, the U.S. military has denied responsibility for both.