Iranian town mourns after deadly strike on wedding

People in Kuhestak, a predominantly Baloch city in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, are mourning after a strike on a wedding killed at least four people, including a child, and injured more than 60, according to local authorities.The blast hit at around 9.30pm on 1 September, turning a night of celebration into one of devastation for the small coastal community, which is on the Strait of Hormuz.In the aftermath, videos shared on social media by friends and relatives of the wedding couple showed rubble, flower garlands and decorations scattered among debris and bloodied shoes.Asked about the strike on Thursday, the US vice-president, JD Vance, said the US would never target civilians in combat but that “sometimes things happen”, adding that he was sceptical of Iran’s reports. He did not acknowledge that the killings had been confirmed by an internationally recognised humanitarian body.According to Iranian state media and people interviewed by the Guardian, the house belonged to Ali Mallahi, a local fisher who was celebrating his daughter’s wedding.In a video published by state media, Mallahi stood amid the rubble of what had been his home and said he was saddened by the attack but thanked God that the casualties weren’t higher.Residents said the celebrations had only just begun. Friends and family were waiting for the bride and groom, and many guests had yet to arrive for the henna ceremony.A woman weeps during a mass funeral in Kuhestak. Photograph: Razieh Poudat/APWitnesses who spoke to the Guardian said the attack had left residents angry and in deep mourning.Ahmad*, a local barber who witnessed the aftermath, said the entire neighbourhood had been devastated by what happened.“I don’t really have words. Ours is a small town and we all know each other and are brothers. We are all mourning. I visited the house and the media won’t report it, but it wasn’t just one house. Many houses around the site have been damaged and neighbours were directly hit by sharp objects when the explosions happened”.“We are not carrying coffins on our shoulders, we are carrying the dark future that awaits us all in the south,” Ahmad added.Moein Arjomand, director of the Balochistan Human Rights Documentation Network, said local responders were facing growing obstacles investigating the explosion.“Our team has been facing a lot of difficulties due to the internet [shutdown] and witnesses and relatives telling us they were banned from speaking to any foreign rights groups and foreign media,” he said. “I tried arranging interviews for international media with the relatives, but they are worried about the consequences and I couldn’t arrange them.”Despite the internet restrictions and apparent warnings against speaking out, locals and relatives of the couple have continued sharing videos documenting the aftermath on social media.In one video, Yaqoob Mallahi, a relative of the bride, shared footage of his seven-year-old son, Sepehr, lying in a hospital bed with his head bandaged.Damaged buildings after the strike on a wedding party. Asked whether the US was responsible, JD Vance, the US vice-president, said ‘sometimes things happen’. Photograph: Getty ImagesArjomand said at least six victims remained in serious condition in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Minab, about 18 miles (30km) away.“Bandar-e-Kuhestak is a small town and the local clinic is not equipped to handle casualties like this, so the injured were taken to the hospital in Minab,” Arjomand said.A video posted by local activists showed the family of Amir Mohammad Karimi, the four-year-old victim, mourning over his body as he was buried on Thursday.A 16-year-old boy, Mohammad Mallahi, was also killed by shrapnel while riding his motorbike nearby. Videos of his funeral, attended by dozens of local people, were shared online.“We have another funeral on Friday, this time a young woman, and we will all be there,” Ahmad said. “I can only pray to Allah that no more of our blood is shed and our injured come back home from the hospital.”Ahmad was referring to Asiyeh Molainejad, 22, another relative of the bride who was declared dead on Thursday.Beyond the immediate grief, the attack deepened a sense among some Baloch residents and activists that civilian deaths in their communities receive comparatively little attention.Men hold red roses as they attend a mass funeral in Kuhestak. Photograph: Razieh Poudat/APFarzin Kadkhodaei, a human rights activist from Balochistan, said the circumstances of the deaths had made the loss particularly painful.“The human cost is devastating. These were Baloch civilians gathered for a wedding, and losing their lives in the middle of what should have been a joyful occasion is heartbreaking,” he said. “Their families are now left with unimaginable grief, while the injured have to live with the physical and emotional consequences.”Chakar Baloch, 35, a fisher, said the attack reinforced a feeling among local people that civilians living along the Makran coast were being placed in the path of conflicts over which they had little control. “My overall view is that we are the victims. We are the people who live along the Makran coast and for years we’ve gone out to sea, struggled to earn our bread, and just wanted to stay alive,” he said.When asked if local people were demanding answers about the strike, a Baloch resident of Sirik said western media did not understand their plight. “Who do you want me to demand answers from?” she said. “From the US that has attacked us in this war? Or the regime which has brought this war to our doorsteps? Tell me from whom I can demand and I will answer your questions.”