Vance dismisses Iran wedding strike reports, says 'things happen'

September 4, 2026 at 06:15 PM2 min

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US Vice President JD Vance expressed skepticism about reports of a deadly US attack on a wedding party in Kuhestak, Iran, saying he does not trust Iran's narrative. He added that 'sometimes, things happen' while speaking at a White House briefing on Thursday. The strike killed four people and injured 67, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

Key Facts

A missile attack hit a wedding celebration in Kuhestak, Hormozgan, on Tuesday night, killing four people and injuring 67, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
The four killed were identified as four-year-old Amir Ali Karimi, 16-year-old Mohammad Malahi, 43-year-old Kolsoum Malahi and 43-year-old Zarkhatoun Taheri.
Weapons experts cited by Reuters said the damage likely resulted from a direct hit by a US munition, possibly a variant of the AGM-84K SLAM-ER.
Vance said the US 'never targets civilians in combat' and would investigate the incident.

The Strike

A missile attack hit a wedding celebration in Iran's southern town of Kuhestak, Hormozgan, on Tuesday night, killing four people – two women and two children – and injuring 67, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. On Wednesday, the Hormozgan governor's office identified the four killed as four-year-old Amir Ali Karimi, 16-year-old Mohammad Malahi, 43-year-old Kolsoum Malahi and 43-year-old Zarkhatoun Taheri. Footage showed that several projectiles had struck a telecommunications tower near the city's shoreline and destroyed it, with locals saying they thought drones had been used. Based on fragments of shrapnel found in Kuhestak, defence experts said it might be a variant of the AGM-84K SLAM-ER, which manufacturer Boeing describes as an advanced precision-guided, air-launched cruise missile with 'surgical strike capability'. The Reuters news agency cited weapons experts who reviewed images and video and said the damage likely resulted from a direct hit by a US munition.

US Response

Speaking on Thursday at a White House news briefing, two days after the attack, Vance said he had no new information about the incident, but maintained that the US 'never targets civilians in combat' and would investigate the incident. On Tuesday, Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM), said the US was aware of reports of civilian casualties that 'originated from Iranian state media' and was 'looking into them'. He added that 'the US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC,' referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Analysts say his comments reflect a long history of the US government minimising or disputing reports of civilian harm in military operations.