TEHRAN, Iran — Iran launched a series of missile attacks against US military positions and regional targets after American forces resumed strikes on Iran, with Iranian state media reporting that four people, including a four-year-old child, were killed when shrapnel struck a home hosting a wedding celebration in southern Iran.
The Iranian Red Crescent said more than 50 people were injured in the attack in Sirik, after a US missile strike sent shrapnel into the residential area.
The United States said its renewed strikes were directed at targets belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), following what US Central Command (Centcom) described as recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran targets US bases in retaliation
Iranian forces subsequently launched attacks against US military positions in Iraq and Jordan, according to Iranian state media and the Jordanian Armed Forces.
Further attacks were reported in Kuwait and Bahrain, amid fears that the renewed confrontation could widen across the Gulf region.
Iran’s IRGC said the United States would “regret” the strikes.
By early Wednesday, Iran had launched a barrage of ballistic missiles towards a US Marine base in Jordan’s Aqaba, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The Jordanian Armed Forces said its air defences intercepted 13 ballistic missiles, with 10 destroyed and three falling in remote areas.
Jordan said there were no deaths or injuries from the attack.
The country’s National Security Centre warned residents in the Aqaba and Mafraq governorates about possible falling debris. The warning was later lifted.
Kuwait and Bahrain report attacks
Kuwait’s military said its air-defence systems were responding to Iranian missile attacks early Wednesday.
Several explosions were also reported in Bahrain following Iranian attacks, according to Iranian state media.
The reports came as the region remained on heightened alert following the renewed exchange of strikes between Iran, the United States and their allies.
The latest escalation has raised concerns that military action could spread beyond Iran and Israel to US bases and allied states across the Gulf.
Wedding party hit in Sirik
The most serious reported civilian casualties occurred in Sirik in southern Iran.
Iranian state media said a US missile attack caused shrapnel to strike a home where a wedding celebration was taking place.
The Iranian Red Crescent said four people were killed and more than 50 injured.
Iranian reports said one of those killed was a four-year-old child.
Other Iranian media reports said projectiles struck areas around Chabahar and Konarak, as well as an airport in Jiroft. Explosions were also reported on Qeshm Island and in Bandar Abbas.
The United States has not acknowledged targeting the wedding gathering.
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, speaking on behalf of Centcom, said the US military was aware of Iranian state media reports concerning the Sirik incident.
“The US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC,” Hawkins told the BBC.
The circumstances surrounding the reported deaths and injuries remain subject to competing accounts.
Centcom says strikes targeted IRGC
Centcom said US forces began striking IRGC targets at 12pm Eastern Time (4pm GMT) on Tuesday and had completed the operation by early Wednesday.
The US military said the strikes followed what it described as recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway is a critical global trade route through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas supplies passes.
Iran has previously targeted vessels it says attempted to cross the strait without Tehran’s permission, while Washington has deployed naval forces to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports.
The renewed military activity has therefore created additional risks for commercial shipping and energy markets.
Trump threatens stronger response
US President Donald Trump warned Iran against retaliating after the latest American strikes were announced.
Trump said Iran would be hit again at “a much harder and higher level” if it responded militarily.
Despite the warning, Iran proceeded with missile attacks against US-linked positions in the region.
The latest escalation follows the first known US strikes on Iran since late July, when American forces attacked two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran subsequently responded by firing missiles at air bases in Jordan and launching a drone towards the United Arab Emirates, according to the report.
Ceasefire agreement has expired
The latest fighting follows the collapse of a US-Iran arrangement that had extended a ceasefire between the two countries.
A US-Iran agreement known as the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June to extend the ceasefire.
The agreement has since expired, allowing hostilities to resume.
Both Washington and Tehran have accused the other side of escalating military and economic pressure.
The United States has also maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has sought to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington expands sanctions
The military escalation has been accompanied by renewed economic pressure.
Washington announced a fresh sanctions campaign on August 24, aimed at further isolating Tehran and expanding secondary sanctions against countries and entities that support Iran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking at a G20 finance ministers meeting, said many US allies had indicated they would “do whatever is necessary” regarding the sanctions campaign.
Iranian officials and state media have largely dismissed the measures as an extension of previous US economic sanctions, arguing that Washington’s renewed pressure follows what Tehran portrays as a failure of American military objectives in the recent conflict.
Pezeshkian signals possible return to agreement
Despite the renewed fighting, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has signalled that Tehran could be open to reviving the diplomatic framework.
According to Iranian state media, Pezeshkian said Iran would reciprocate if the United States returned to its commitments under the agreement.
His comments suggest that diplomatic channels have not been completely closed despite the latest military escalation.
