Iran Retaliates Against US Strikes That Killed Four at Wedding Party

American forces launched fresh strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran on Tuesday, US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed, saying the operations followed what it described as "recent attempted attacks" by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Centcom said strikes began at 12:00 Eastern Time (16:00 GMT) and were completed by early Wednesday.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported that four people were killed and more than 50 injured in the attacks. According to the organisation, shrapnel from a US missile struck a home in Sirik, in southern Iran, where a wedding celebration was under way. Iranian state media reported that a four-year-old child was among those who died. Additional reports cited by state media said projectiles struck the areas of Chabahar and Konarak, an airport in Jiroft, and that explosions were heard on Qeshm island and in Bandar Abbas.

US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, speaking on behalf of Centcom, told the BBC the US military was aware of the reports from Iranian state media regarding the Sirik incident. He said: "The US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC." It is not independently established that the civilian casualties resulted from a direct strike rather than shrapnel, as stated by the Red Crescent.

Iran's military response

In retaliation, Iran launched attacks against US military bases in Iraq and Jordan, according to local state media and the Jordanian Armed Forces. Attacks were also reported in Kuwait and Bahrain. The IRGC warned that the US would "regret" the strikes.

By early Wednesday, Iran had fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at a US Marine base in Jordan's Aqaba, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency. The Jordanian Armed Forces said it had intercepted 13 ballistic missiles, of which 10 were destroyed; three fell in remote areas. Jordan reported no deaths or injuries. The country's national security centre issued warnings to residents of the Aqaba and Mafraq governorates about falling debris, a warning that was subsequently lifted.

Kuwait's army said its air defences were responding to Iranian missile attacks in the early hours of Wednesday. Several explosions were also reported in Bahrain, according to Iranian state media.

Diplomatic and sanctions context

Speaking when the US strikes were announced on Tuesday, President Donald Trump warned that if Iran retaliated, it would be hit again at "a much harder and higher level."

The current exchange of fire follows the first known US strikes on Iran since late July, which targeted two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran had responded to that episode by firing missiles at air bases in Jordan and launching a drone at the UAE.

A broader backdrop to the current hostilities: the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran responded by attacking Israel, US bases, and allied states in the Gulf, and by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic. A subsequent agreement between Washington and Tehran — described as a Memorandum of Understanding to extend a ceasefire — was signed in June, but has since expired, leading to the resumption of hostilities. Both sides have also fired on shipping, with Tehran targeting vessels it says attempted to cross the Strait without its permission, and the US enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Washington announced a fresh sanctions campaign on 24 August, aimed at further isolating Tehran and expanding secondary sanctions against its allies. Speaking at a G20 finance ministers meeting, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said many allies "came forward and said they will do whatever is necessary" on the Iran sanctions. Iranian officials and state media largely dismissed the campaign as a continuation of prior economic measures, which they argued followed what they characterised as Washington's military failure in the recent conflict.

Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was quoted by state media on Tuesday as saying that if the US returned to honouring the agreement, Iran would reciprocate — a signal noted amid an otherwise sharp escalation in hostilities.