Iran has initiated what it describes as an “extensive and widespread” military response to US attacks, the Iranian army said in an official statement shared on social media. The announcement follows a strike on a wedding celebration in Kuhestak that Iranian officials said killed civilians, including a four-year-old child, and wounded dozens more.
According to the army statement, retaliatory operations have already begun. The military claimed successful missile and drone strikes targeting radar systems, operational centers, and areas housing US military personnel in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The command condemned Washington’s actions as “a clear example of a war crime and reveals the vile nature of ‘American human rights’.” Independent verification of the military claims has not been issued.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the attack on the residential home in Kuhestak was part of a wider series of strikes targeting Minab, Lamerd, Qeshm and other locations in southern Iran. Baqaei stated that more than 50 people, including men, women and children, were killed or wounded. Updated figures from Iranian officials put the toll from the wedding attack at 4 people martyred and 35 others injured. Damage assessments from local authorities in the affected areas have not been made public.
Southern Iran lies along the Persian Gulf coast and includes key population centers and port infrastructure. Strikes in residential areas in this zone directly affect civilian communities and local governance. The targeting of a wedding gathering has expanded the humanitarian dimension of the escalation and increased pressure on emergency services, medical facilities, and civil defense in the affected provinces.
Tehran had earlier said it would respond “with firmness.” The army’s latest statement escalates that language, describing the response as “extensive and widespread” and directly linking it to US actions. The inclusion of women and children in the reported casualties has added to domestic pressure on Iranian leadership to act.
The immediate effects will be felt in southern Iran and across the Gulf. For communities in Kuhestak and nearby towns, the attack disrupts daily life, creates displacement, and increases demand for medical and relief support. For the wider region, claimed strikes on US-linked facilities in Bahrain and the UAE risk drawing additional areas into the confrontation and complicating efforts to limit civilian harm.
Subsequent developments will depend on the scale and targets of Iran’s ongoing operations and on any further response from Washington. With military action now publicly announced and civilian gatherings reported as targets, the focus of diplomatic and military calculations across the region will shift to escalation control and civilian protection.
