US Missile Hits Wedding Party in Iran, Vice President Responds
The United States government has begun investigating an airstrike that hit a wedding party in Iran, killing at least five people. The investigation follows an analysis by several weapons experts reviewed by Reuters, which indicated that the explosion was likely caused by a direct hit from US ammunition.
US Vice President JD Vance stated that Washington is working to ascertain exactly what occurred during the incident, which took place on Tuesday (1/9/2026). “We are investigating it because, of course, we care. We want to know,” Vance told reporters on Thursday (3/9/2026) local time.
He added that if the investigation reveals a mistake made by the US military, Washington would learn from the event. “If we did indeed make a mistake, once again, this is the great difference between us and Iran. When our military makes a mistake, they learn from that mistake to try to become better,” Vance said.
The US government has not yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The US military stated it is aware of the reports submitted by Iran regarding the incident; however, Washington emphasised that its forces never target civilians.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government is considering several possibilities regarding the casualties at the wedding. The possibilities being examined include whether the victims were caused directly by a US strike, or by the ricochet or deviation of Iranian air defence missiles, or interceptor missiles missing their targets.
Expert Opinion
Reuters’ analysis of verified photos and videos shows damage at the site that is more consistent with a direct hit from ammunition than secondary damage caused by munitions ricocheting after hitting another target. Reuters shared the footage of the incident with four military weapons experts, who then assessed the damage patterns at the location.
Three out of the four experts stated that the ammunition used was likely US-made weaponry, rather than misdirected Iranian air defence missiles. One expert noted that the weapon may have missed its intended target.
Consequently, the expert analysis strengthens the suspicion that the explosion at the wedding site was likely not caused by fragments or ricochets from an attack on another target. However, these findings have not yet become an official conclusion regarding responsibility for the attack, as the US government continues its investigation.