Tehran: Renewed fighting between the United States and Iran is raising fresh concerns about civilian safety after Iranian authorities said the latest US strikes killed 18 people and injured 142 others.
Iranian Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said the 142 injured included 61 women and 44 people under the age of 18. He said two women and one child were among the 18 people reported killed in the latest strikes. The figures were provided by Iranian authorities and have not been independently verified.
The renewed military action follows a monthlong period without major US strikes on Iran. The United States said it carried out a new operation on September 1 against Iranian military targets, including air defence positions, radar systems, communications facilities and maritime assets.
Washington has said its forces do not target civilians. US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said the military was aware of reports of civilian casualties and repeated the US position that civilians are not deliberately targeted.
One of the most serious incidents reported from the latest strikes involved a wedding gathering in the southern Iranian town of Kuhestak in Sirik County, Hormozgan province.
Iranian authorities said a strike hit a home where a wedding celebration was taking place. They later revised the reported death toll at the site from five to four.
The four victims were identified as Amir Ali Karimi, aged four, Mohammad Malahi, aged 16, Kolsoum Malahi, aged 43, and Zarkhatoun Taheri, aged 43.
Reports from the scene said more than 60 people were injured at the site. The wider Iranian Health Ministry figure of 142 injured covers the latest US strikes overall.
Experts who examined images from the scene said the evidence was consistent with a US guided weapon. However, there is still uncertainty about the exact weapon used and what the intended target was.
Iranian authorities say the strike hit a home where a wedding was taking place, while the US military has not said that the gathering was the intended target.
Iran has strongly condemned the incident. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei described the wider US operation as an unlawful war of choice and called the wedding strike a war crime. That remains Iran's description of the incident and is not an established international legal finding.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the reported civilian deaths. The UN said he was deeply alarmed by reports of civilian casualties, including the reported strike on the wedding ceremony.
The United Nations has called for an immediate end to military action, restraint, protection of civilians and a return to diplomacy.
The renewed escalation has also spread beyond Iran. Iranian missiles and drones have been directed at US and allied targets in countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq.
Further attacks were reported in Kuwait on Thursday, September 3. Authorities in several countries have reported interceptions and other security incidents as the confrontation widens across the region.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the wider conflict. The waterway is a major route for global energy shipments and has been heavily disrupted by the fighting.
The United States has been using naval forces to restrict Iranian shipping, while Iran has imposed restrictions and threatened vessels using the waterway. The situation has raised wider concerns about the safety of commercial shipping and the movement of energy supplies.
Two Filipino sailors were killed in a security incident involving the Saudi flagged tanker SIDR as it was travelling through the Strait of Hormuz on August 31, according to the vessel's operator, Bahri.
The renewed fighting comes as diplomatic efforts continue but remain uncertain. Countries including Pakistan and Qatar have been involved in attempts to find a way back to negotiations. Earlier discussions produced an understanding in June, but implementation stalled as military tensions continued.
The current escalation also brings back concerns from an earlier US strike on a girls' school in Minab. That attack killed 160 people, according to Reuters reporting, including children.
The Pentagon has not publicly released its final investigation into the Minab strike. Reuters has reported that people familiar with the matter believed outdated targeting information may have contributed, but that explanation has not been officially confirmed.
President Donald Trump has said the renewed fighting will not continue for too long, while also warning that the United States could strike Iran again at any time.
For civilians across Iran and the wider region, the immediate question is whether the latest escalation will remain limited or develop into another prolonged phase of the war. With military action continuing, shipping under pressure and diplomacy still fragile, further civilian casualties remain a major concern.