Iran says US bombed a wedding party in Sirik, killing five people - Al Jazeera

**Iran Accuses the United States of Bombing a Wedding in Sirik**

*Tehran –* The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Tuesday that a United States airstrike hit a wedding party in the southern port city of Sirik, killing five civilians, including three women and two children. According to the IRGC’s public affairs office, the “unjustifiable” attack targeted a convoy of cars that were traveling to a local wedding ceremony when “high‑explosive munitions” were dropped from an “unidentified aircraft.” Iranian authorities have called for an emergency meeting of the National Security Council and have warned of a “proportionate response” if the United States does not halt its “aggressive actions” in the region.

The United States, which has been conducting a series of retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, has not confirmed the Sirik incident. A Pentagon spokesperson said the latest operations were “focused on degrading the capabilities of Iran‑aligned militias that have targeted American personnel and interests,” and that the missions were carried out in “accordance with international law.” The spokesperson declined to comment on the specific allegations of civilian casualties in Sirik, noting that “the United States does not target civilian gatherings.” The claims come amid a broader escalation that began in early April, when the U.S. Navy reported attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf of Oman, prompting a wave of air and naval strikes against what Washington described as “terrorist proxies” linked to Tehran.

In the wake of the report, Iran’s IRGC commander, Major General Hossein Salami, warned that the United States must “expel its forces from the region” or face “direct strikes against American assets.” Former President Donald Trump, speaking at a campaign rally, pledged that his administration would “take a harder line on Iran” and promised “more decisive action if Tehran continues its provocations.” Regional analysts caution that the growing rhetoric on both sides heightens the risk of a wider confrontation, especially as diplomatic channels remain strained and both governments continue to issue threatening statements.

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