Expert Says Fragments Point to U.S. Guided Weapon in Iran Wedding Strike

A weapons expert told The Associated Press (AP) that fragments recovered from the site of a strike on a home in southern Iran where a wedding was taking place appeared to come from an American air-delivered guided weapon.

Rescue workers inspect the aftermath of a reported strike on a home in southern Iran where a wedding was taking place. [Photo: Raytheon]

N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, initially identified the weapon as a SLAM-ER cruise missile, an air-launched weapon that can be retargeted in flight by a human operator.

After examining additional imagery, however, Jenzen-Jones said the fragments were more likely to have come from a Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), a type of guided air-launched weapon.

He did not rule out a SLAM-ER and said multiple weapons may have struck the site. 

Iranian state media reported that the strike hit the home of fisherman Ali Mallahi while a wedding was taking place.

Four people were reported killed, including two women and two children, while more than 60 others were injured. The Associated Press (AP) said the US military has not confirmed responsibility for the strike. 

US Central Command declined to comment on Jenzen-Jones' findings. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins previously said the military was aware of reports originating with Iranian state media and was looking into them.

“Make no mistake: These crimes will not go unpunished,” Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran's parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on X.