Tehran: The US and Iran found themselves back on a war footing on Wednesday after the most significant exchange of fire in weeks, with Washington threatening more devastating strikes while Iran protested an attack that it said killed five and wounded dozens of civilians at a wedding.
Iran’s Mehr news agency said a four-year-old child was among the deceased, while the IRNA news agency, citing a provincial official, put the number of wounded at 68. Several children were hospitalised.
Five people were killed and 50 wounded at a wedding near Sirik, a coastal area on the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Red Cross reported, as the United States and Iran engaged in the most significant exchange of fire in weeks on Tuesday
"Thank God that the casualties weren't more than this," said Ali Molahi, the father of the bride, who said that the house was struck by two drones.
An unidentified injured man said his party were on their way to the wedding when they heard the sound of a fighter jet, and that the explosion occurred when they arrived at the venue.
The US military's Central Command said it struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air defenses, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites on Tuesday, with Iranian media reporting hits on multiple targets near the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway where Tehran has threatened tankers attempting to pass without authorization.
Iran said it struck US assets in Jordan and Iraq, according to official statements, while Iranian media reports said it also attacked Bahrain. Although the IRGC said it killed a large number of US forces in Jordan, two US officials told Reuters there had not been any casualties, according to initial assessments.
The US claims it struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps infrastructure, with Iranian media reporting hits on multiple targets near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it struck US assets in Jordan and Iraq, according to official statements, while Iranian media reports said it also attacked Bahrain.