US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that Washington is investigating reports of a US airstrike that allegedly hit a wedding gathering in Iran, reportedly causing civilian deaths and injuries. While expressing doubt about the Iranian reports, Vance said the United States does not deliberately target civilians.
Vance explained that he had received a briefing on the investigation but did not yet have evidence confirming whether US forces were responsible for the reported incident. He acknowledged that civilian casualties can occur during military operations and said any mistakes by US forces would be investigated.
Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour reported that at least 18 people had been killed and 142 injured in US airstrikes between Aug. 30 and Sept. 2. He also said at least 50 people were wounded at a wedding gathering in Sirik, raising further concerns about civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, Vance said the US is not negotiating with Iran and will not return to talks unless Tehran stops attacks on commercial shipping. He rejected calls for a specific deadline, arguing that a predictable timetable could allow Iran to continue its attacks.
According to Vance, Washington is using military, economic, diplomatic and other measures to protect commercial vessels and keep oil and gas moving through the Strait of Hormuz. He said around 15 million barrels of oil had continued to pass through the waterway despite the conflict.
Vance also declined to discuss whether the US might directly assist Iranian opposition groups, saying the administration had several options available. He emphasized that Washington’s main objectives were to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and to avoid a worldwide energy crisis.
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