U.S. Strike on Residential House Hosting a Wedding in Kuhestak, Sirik County

On September 1, 2026, during a renewed wave of U.S. military strikes against Iran, a residential property in the coastal city of Kuhestak in Sirik County, Hormozgan Province, was struck while a wedding ceremony was being held inside. Kuhestak is located in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported that shrapnel from a U.S. missile strike hit the residential property where the wedding was taking place. Initial reports from Iranian authorities said that four people were killed and more than 50 were injured. According to the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, the four confirmed fatalities included two people who died at the scene and two others who later died in hospital from the severity of their injuries. Al Jazeera reported that the Hormozgan governor's office identified the four victims as four-year-old Amir Ali Karimi, 16-year-old Mohammad Malahi, 43-year-old Kolsoum Malahi and 43-year-old Zarkhatoun Taheri.

The latest casualty figures provided by Hormozgan medical authorities put the number of injured at 65. At Minab's Hazrat Abolfazl Hospital, which served as the principal referral centre for the wounded, six patients were in intensive care and 26 were receiving treatment in surgical wards. Sirik Hospital was treating another eight wounded people. Thirty-six injured people had reportedly been discharged after receiving diagnostic and medical treatment. The medical authorities also reported that 19 of the injured were children under the age of 10, including seven boys and 12 girls. One of the six patients in intensive care was reported to be in critical condition, had been intubated and was receiving intensive treatment.

The figures reported by different sources have not remained consistent. Al Jazeera reported 63 wounded people based on a statement by the governor of Sirik County, while earlier international reports cited more than 50 wounded. Al Jazeera's reporting also later referred to five deaths, based on Iranian state media, while the latest figures from the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences and ISNA confirmed four deaths. Reuters and AP likewise reported five deaths. The four-death figure should therefore be treated as the latest specifically documented figure from the provincial medical authorities supplied in the sources reviewed for this profile, while the five-death figure remains an externally reported update that requires further confirmation.

The physical evidence described in available reporting indicates significant damage to the residential property. Al Jazeera reviewed footage showing what appeared to be at least one direct impact on the roof of the building where the wedding was taking place. Additional footage showed partial destruction of the building, debris inside the property and the loss of electricity in the surrounding area. Women's and children's footwear was visible among the debris. Several neighbouring residential buildings were also reported to have sustained damage.

Iranian state television reported that three U.S. missiles were used in the attack and that one penetrated the roof of the building, creating a hole approximately 1.5 metres deep in the ground.

The attack also affected telecommunications infrastructure in the area. Al Jazeera reported that several projectiles struck and destroyed a telecommunications tower near the shoreline. Experts consulted by Al Jazeera examined fragments reportedly recovered from Kuhestak and suggested that they might be from a variant of the AGM-84K SLAM-ER, a precision-guided air-launched cruise missile. This weapon identification remains tentative and should not be treated as independently established fact.

Witness accounts reported by Al Jazeera described civilians, including women and children, being present inside the house. Ali Malahi, identified as the owner of the property, said that the people attending his daughter's wedding were civilians. A wounded survivor described seeing children and women among those severely injured. Another witness said that the house was not near a military site and appeared to have been directly targeted.

The U.S. military's public position differs from the Iranian account. U.S. Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins said CENTCOM was aware of reports of civilian casualties but noted that they originated from Iranian state media. He stated that the U.S. military does not target civilians. CENTCOM's broader description of the September 1 operation said that U.S. strikes targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps capabilities, including air-defense systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities. The public statements reviewed for this profile do not identify the wedding venue or the residential building as one of those military objectives.

The Iranian Red Crescent subsequently said that it had documented the incident and released photographs and footage from the scene and of injured children receiving medical treatment. The organization also reported submitting information about the incident to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and seeking legal action concerning the attack.

Further investigation is needed to shed light on the different aspects of this attack. This profile will be updated on the following days having more evidence available.