The UN secretary-general, António Guterres, said today he is "deeply alarmed" by reports of civilian casualties in Iran, including an attack that struck a wedding celebration in the village of Kuhestak, in Hormozgan province, in the country's south. Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres's spokesperson, condemned all attacks on civilians at a press conference in New York.
The United States attacked Iran on Tuesday night for the second time in 48 hours, in an offensive against targets of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to contain alleged Iranian attempts to aggression against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against US military personnel in the region. At least 18 people were killed and 68 injured in these attacks, according to Iranian authorities.
US missiles struck the house where the wedding celebration was taking place in Kuhestak, killing four people and injuring 68, of whom 50 remain hospitalized. Seven people were killed and eight injured at three sites in Khuzestan province that were also hit by missiles. US military forces have not directly commented on the wedding celebration attack, but a Centcom spokesperson stated that US military forces never target civilians.
Iran responded with attacks on US military facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraqi Kurdistan. Guterres reiterated the call for an immediate cessation of military actions, urging the parties to exercise restraint, and stressed that a lasting solution can only be achieved through dialogue and negotiations.
