WANA (Sep 03) – In its ninth statement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Public Relations Office called on US leaders to answer to the international public over what it described as a “dark record” of attacks on wedding ceremonies in different countries.

 

The statement said US Central Command had carried out a direct airstrike on an engagement ceremony involving a local family in Kouhestak, in Sirik County, Hormozgan Province, turning what had been a celebration into mourning.

 

According to the IRGC, nearly 70 people were struck in the attack, with four killed and seven of the wounded reported to be in critical condition.

 

The statement said that following widespread reactions from the public, media outlets and international figures, including some US media, US military and government officials had issued statements seeking to deny that the attack was deliberate and had repeated claims that American forces do not target civilians.

 

The IRGC rejected those explanations and argued that attacks resulting in civilian casualties have a recurring history in US military operations.

 

The statement cited the following incidents:

 

  • July 1, 2002: More than 100 people were reportedly killed in the bombing of a wedding in Kakrak village, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
  • September 18, 2003: More than five people were reportedly killed or wounded in a bombing at a wedding in Fallujah, Iraq.
  • May 19, 2004: Forty-two people were reportedly killed in the bombing of a wedding in Beker Al-Dhib village, Anbar Province, Iraq.
  • October 8, 2004: Thirteen people, including the groom, were reportedly killed in a bombing at a wedding in Fallujah.
  • July 6, 2008: Forty-seven people, including the bride, were reportedly killed in the bombing of a wedding in Deh Bala, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.
  • November 2008: Thirty-seven people, including 23 children, were reportedly killed in the bombing of a wedding in Waj Bakhto, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
  • June 2012: Eighteen people, including nine children, were reportedly killed in a bombing at a wedding in Logar Province, Afghanistan.
  • September 28, 2015: A reported 131 women and children were killed in a bombing at a wedding in Wahijah, Taiz Province, Yemen, in an incident involving the Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States.
  • September 1, 2026: Around 70 people were reportedly killed or wounded in the bombing of a wedding ceremony in Kouhestak, Sirik County, Hormozgan Province, Iran.

 

The IRGC called on US leaders to address the international public over what it described as a pattern of attacks on wedding ceremonies, arguing that the incidents should not simply be dismissed as accidents or mistakes.

 

The statement also referred to previous incidents in Minab, Lamerd and Qeshm, which it attributed to the United States, and accused Washington of avoiding accountability.

 

The IRGC said Iranian forces had responded militarily to the latest attack, adding that the United States should consider the consequences of continued military operations in the region.