Kuhestak: A barrage of strikes during an American bombardment in southern Iran has killed 5people and wounded more than sixty others after hitting a residential compound hosting a wedding celebration in the coastal town of Kuhestak.
The attack occurred on Tuesday evening when a strike hit the Mallahi family compound, where approximately One-hundred and fifty women and children had gathered in a designated room awaiting the start of dinner. The bride and groom had not yet arrived when the strike occurred. A male relative, Ali Mallahi, stated that men were celebrating in a separate building roughly 50 metres away, in line with local gender-segregated wedding traditions.
The casualties displayed on local posters included a four-year-old boy, a 16-year-old, and two women, with a third woman dying from her injuries at a hospital on Thursday. Neighbors and relatives described scene of severe destruction, with direct hits causing a gaping hole in the roof, shattered windows, cracked walls, and twisted metal framework scattered across the compound’s courtyard.
The bombardment formed part of a broader American military operation in southern Iran aimed at air defences, radar systems, and maritime assets. A nearby telecommunications tower located just over 100 metres from the residence was also toppled, severely disrupting landline and mobile telephone services across the area, though local networks were partially restored by Friday.
Following the incident, residents and media presented recovered fragments of the munitions, including part of an exterior body, a control fin segment, and a thermal battery unit. Weapons experts, including former US Army explosive ordnance disposal technician Trevor Ball, reviewed imagery of the remnants and indicated they point to American guided glide bombs, specifically the JSOW or GBU-39 models. Videos released by US Central Command confirmed aircraft, including an F/A-18E carrying a JSOW, had participated in missions in the region that night.
US Vice President JD Vance confirmed he had been briefed on the incident, stating that Washington was investigating the matter fully while maintaining that the US military never targets civilians in combat.
Kuhestak lies on the Strait of Hormuz, approximately 30 kilometres from the town of Minab, where a previous strike on 28 February hit a primary school, resulting in the deaths of over 100 children. Local authorities and weapons analysts continue to evaluate the site evidence to confirm the precise munition used in the Kuhestak strike.
