Vance says 'sometimes things happen' as US probes reported Iran wedding strike

Investigation into wedding strike reports

US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday acknowledged that "sometimes things happen" in combat while defending American military conduct, as Washington opened an investigation into reports that an airstrike killed civilians at an Iranian wedding celebration. Speaking to reporters, Vance said he had received briefings on the incident but lacked confirmation that US forces were responsible for the attack in Sirik. "I'm extremely skeptical of this," he said, referring to Iranian state media reports.

Vance argued that Tehran's outlets had not provided reliable coverage of the conflict. "What I can say with 100% confidence is that, unlike the IRGC, the United States never targets civilians in combat," he stated. "We never will do that. We never have done that." He acknowledged that civilian casualties can occur during military operations, saying: "Unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen." He added that if the US military makes mistakes, it investigates them and learns from them.

Iranian casualty figures

Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said Thursday that at least 18 people had been killed and 142 injured in recent US airstrikes conducted between the evenings of August 30 and September 2. He identified casualties including four people in Sirik, seven in Khuzestan, four members of the IRGC Aerospace Force in Kermanshah and three Basij members on Lavan Island.

Kermanpour confirmed that at least 50 people were wounded at the wedding gathering in Sirik, adding to concerns over civilian casualties as the conflict continues. The reported strike on the wedding party has intensified scrutiny of the US military campaign, which began on February 28 when Washington and Israel launched action against Iran.

No negotiations without shipping halt

Vance made clear that Washington is not currently negotiating with Tehran and has no intention of resuming talks unless Iran halts attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. "The president's been very clear: we're not talking to them, and we're not going to talk to them unless they stop shooting at commercial shipping," he said. The vice president rejected calls for a fixed timetable, arguing that setting deadlines could allow Iran to continue attacks while American strategy remained publicly predictable.

The administration is employing military, economic, diplomatic and covert measures to protect commercial vessels and maintain oil and gas flows through the strategic waterway. About 15 million barrels of oil continue to pass through the strait daily despite the ongoing hostilities. "The message to the Iranians is simple," Vance said. "You've got to stop shooting at commercial shipping." He declined to specify whether Washington was considering direct assistance to Iranian dissidents, noting that all options remain available to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.