By SCM International Desk, Wednesday, Sept 02, 2026
TEHRAN — The Iranian government issued a scathing statement on Wednesday condemning a series of U.S. military airstrikes across its southern provinces.
Tehran accused Washington of hitting critical civil infrastructure and a wedding gathering, marking a sharp escalation in a multi-month conflict that had briefly lulled under a fragile tacit understanding.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the strikes, which took place Tuesday evening, targeted several civilian areas and service facilities. Affected regions included telecommunications towers and public utilities in the coastal and southern provinces of Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan, and Kerman.
According to the Iranian diplomatic core, the deadliest single incident occurred in Kuhestak, a coastal town in Sirik County within Hormozgan Province. Foreign ministry officials claimed that a U.S. strike hit a residential venue hosting a wedding ceremony, resulting in more than 70 casualties—mostly women and children. Independent humanitarian organizations, including the Iranian Red Crescent, confirmed that shrapnel from a nearby missile impact tore through the home, killing multiple attendees and severely injuring dozens more.
”These barbaric war crimes constitute a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law,” the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared in its statement.
The ministry characterized the strikes as a continuation of previous actions by what it termed the “American-Zionist axis,” specifically invoking earlier incidents in Minab and Lamerd.
In response to the air raids, Tehran announced that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran had exercised their “inherent right to self-defense” under international law. Iranian forces fired a volley of missiles and deployed strike drones aimed at U.S. military bases and staging locations across the Persian Gulf region.
The Iranian statement issued a direct warning to neighboring Gulf states, urging regional governments to block American military assets from utilizing local installations or airspace to launch operations against Iranian territory.
Tehran emphasized that while it intends to prevent the conflict from expanding into an all-out regional war, it will not permit foreign forces to dominate the region.
The statement concluded with a sharp rebuke of the United Nations, accusing the UN Security Council of failing to uphold Article 2(4) of its own Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
The latest exchange comes amid a volatile, six-month military clash centered primarily on the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow choke point through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s petroleum supply flows.
The U.S. Position: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the execution of targeted strikes against Iranian maritime radar systems, air defense batteries, and coastal military infrastructure.
American officials maintained that the operations were defensive countermeasures in response to Iranian attempts to deploy naval mines, interdict commercial oil tankers, and target American personnel in the region.
The Civilian Toll: Allegations of civilian collateral damage have become a contentious flashpoint throughout the conflict. The strike on the Kuhestak wedding echoes earlier high-casualty events cited by Iranian media, notably an airstrike on a girls’ school in Minab earlier in the year that sparked widespread international debate.
Global Economic Fallout: The renewal of direct hostilities has disrupted maritime logistics, sending global crude oil prices surging and creating renewed pressure on international energy markets.
