U.S. Bomb Misses Iran Target, Killing 4 at Wedding Celebration

3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 6

At least four civilians — including two women and two children — were killed and more than 90 injured when a bomb hit a home hosting a wedding in Kuhestak, southern Iran.
A person familiar with the operation said the Pentagon is investigating whether one of six U.S. Navy bombs aimed at a nearby communications tower veered off course; the house was about 440 feet away.
U.S. officials said the strike was part of Tuesday attacks retaliating for heightened threats to U.S. troops and commercial shipping, while Central Command said it was reviewing civilian-casualty reports.
Weapons experts cited in the report said damage patterns were consistent with a U.S. JSOW glide bomb and made alternatives such as a falling Iranian air-defense missile highly unlikely.
The incident adds to a growing toll of civilian deaths in the six-month U.S.-Iran conflict, where critics say safeguards have weakened after the Pentagon scaled back its civilian-harm mitigation office.