US-Iran War: JD Vance Says US Investigates Airstrike That Hit Sirik Wedding Party – ‘We Care’ | Today’s news
US Vice President JD Vance said the United States is investigating an airstrike that Iran says hit a wedding party in Iran, Reuters reported.
“We’re investigating because obviously we’re interested. We want to know,” Vance told reporters during a White House press briefing on Sept. 3 (local time).
A US missile hit a house in Sirik, southern Iran, where dozens of people had gathered to celebrate the wedding of a fisherman’s daughter, according to a human rights group and Iranian media, as reported by the AP news agency.
“If we make mistakes, again, that’s a big difference between us and Iran, when our military makes mistakes, they learn from them to try to improve,” Vance added.
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Iranian officials said four people died and nearly 70 were injured in a strike that hit a house during a wedding. Iran’s state television said Thursday that a fifth person, a 22-year-old woman, had since died in hospital.
The US military has previously said it is aware of the Iranian reports but that it “never targets civilians”.
What did Iran claim?
Esmaeil BaghaeiA spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying the “brutal” attack that hit a residence in the town of Kuhestak early on September 2 was a “war crime”.
“The truth about this illegal elected war – and the real face of the war crime – is in Sirik, where a wedding ceremony was brutally bombed as part of America’s desperate attempt to cover up its failure,” Baghaei wrote on X.
Videos shared by the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) showed the building with broken walls and windows and debris strewn on the ground. The rights group also released images of several children being treated in hospital. Baghaei also shared the visuals.
The IRCS has sent a letter to the International Criminal Court calling for legal action following the US missile strike in southern Sirik.
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“Given the reported civilian nature of the site as the site of a family wedding ceremony, as well as the presence of civilians at the site, the incident is of grave concern under international humanitarian law and requires an independent, impartial, thorough and effective investigation,” the IRCS letter quoted Al Jazeera as saying.
The injured were taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Minab and were “in a stable condition”, Reza Shahidiyan, governor of Sirik county, told state broadcaster IRIB.
What did Centcom say?
Previously, the US Central Command (Centcom)the spokesman was quoted by the BBC as saying he “never targets civilians”, adding that he was aware of the reports. Centcom spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told the BBC he was aware of Iranian state media reports of the attack in Sirik.
“Unlike the IRGC, the US military never targets civilians,” he added.
Centcom said the attacks on Iran followed “recent attempted attacks” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against US forces and merchant shipping in a key Waterway through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil and gas traffic usually passes.
Iranian authorities said another 14 people were killed elsewhere. In response, Iran fired missiles and drones at American targets in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Bahrain.
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We’re investigating because we’re obviously interested. We want to know.
Iranian media also reported explosions in the southern provinces of Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Kerman and Khuzestan.
