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Iran war escalation raises concern over civilian death toll

From Daily Maverick · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • Iran’s health minister said U.S. strikes killed 18 people and wounded 108, while the Iranian Red Crescent reported four deaths and 67 injuries at a wedding near the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Iran launched missile and drone attacks at what it said were U.S. assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq, and Kuwait reported further attacks that its air defenses intercepted.
  • U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate halt to military action, while the United States and Iran gave sharply different accounts of civilian targeting and casualties.

A wedding near the Strait of Hormuz became one of the latest reported scenes of civilian death as fighting between Iran and the United States intensified again. Iran’s health minister said 18 people died and 108 were wounded in U.S. strikes on Tuesday night. The Iranian Red Crescent said four of those killed were attending the wedding.

The renewed combat has alarmed governments across the region. Iran launched missiles and drones at what it described as U.S. assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq. Kuwait’s army reported additional missile and drone attacks early Thursday, saying air defense systems intercepted them.

deeply alarmed by reports of civilian casualties, including a strike that reportedly hit a wedding ceremony in Iran

· António GuterresThe U.N. secretary-general reacted to reports of civilian deaths in the latest U.S. strikes.

Weapons had largely fallen silent after the previous exchange in July, but peace talks failed to make progress. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further military action even as the war remained unpopular in the United States and pushed gasoline prices higher. Four people familiar with White House discussions said senior aides were trying to prevent the conflict from widening before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, while officials could consider expanding military action afterward.

The Secretary-General condemns all attacks against civilians. He recalls that all parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.

· Stéphane DujarricThe U.N. spokesperson relayed Guterres’s call for compliance with humanitarian law.

Iran has remained defiant despite heavy military and economic losses. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "deeply alarmed by reports of civilian casualties, including a strike that reportedly hit a wedding ceremony in Iran." His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said Guterres condemned all attacks on civilians and reminded all sides of their obligations under international humanitarian law.

The reported deaths would add to the 3,636 people HRANA documented as killed in Iran by April 7, including 1,701 civilians. The United States has reported 18 military personnel killed and more than 750 wounded. U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said the military never targets civilians, unlike the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Red Crescent video showed debris beside a damaged building, and satellite imagery verified that a fallen utility tower stood 136 meters from it. The incident recalled a school blast in Minab that killed 160 people, though the Pentagon has not issued an official finding on that strike.

The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC

· Tim HawkinsThe U.S. Central Command spokesperson rejected the characterization of the reported strike as deliberate targeting of civilians.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Maverick. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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