Residents and family members who were caught up in the deadly U.S. strike on a wedding gathering in southern Iran say they are still struggling with grief and anxiety following the tragic incident, which left five people dead and almost 70 injured.
Iranian media reported that a U.S. missile hit a home in Kuhestak of the southern Hormozgan province on the evening of Sept. 1, when dozens of people had gathered for the wedding of a fisherman's daughter.
Following the incident, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the attack as "a desperate U.S. attempt to hide its defeat", while U.S. Vice President JD Vance later said the United States is "investigating" the strike.
Some media reports speculated the house was likely hit as a result of a U.S. bomb missing its intended target.
The attack has been met with widespread anger across Iran, turning what should have been a joyous occasion into one of tragedy and despair, while several victims are still undergoing hospital care.
"Five people were killed in this incident, including three women, one man, and a six-year-old boy. Three injured individuals are still receiving medical treatment," said Zahra Kuchal, a nurse.
For many residents, the fear and panic has not subsided, with many saying they feel particularly anxious during night time.
"Even though a few days passed, we still feel anxious whenever sunset approaches. We only feel a bit of relief when the morning comes," said a local man named Eshaq.
"Ever since the attack happened, we've been under a lot of stress. The attack happened at night before dinner on Monday, and we're still anxious and don't know what to do," said Ebrahim, another Kuhestak resident, whose relatives were injured in the strike.
Ebrahim also described a family whose members were injured in the strike. Safieh,
One of the wounded family members was a mother named Safieh, who along with her son suffered a serious leg injury. She explained how even more of her loved ones could have been hurt in the blast had she not acted quickly.
"We were sitting outside the house when suddenly we heard an explosion. I rescued my two daughters and my grandchild and got them inside. Then something suddenly collapsed on top of me. My face was covered in blood. We went to the hospital, and my leg and my son's leg required surgery. I spent four hours in the operating room," said Safieh.
The wedding strike is seen as the latest in a series of questionable attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure committed by the U.S. on its war with Iran.
On Feb. 28, the opening day of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, a strike hit a girls' elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing 168 people, most of them children, according to Iranian authorities. Evidence from subsequent investigations has pointed to a U.S. Tomahawk missile as the weapon used in the strike.
Residents left devastated after U.S. strike on wedding gathering in Iran
