Iran warned it will shift to a tougher approach after the latest round of US strikes killed at least 19 people, including four at a wedding ceremony that Tehran has called a war crime.
The heavy exchanges, which included Iranian attacks on US bases across several countries, marked the most intense fighting in weeks and pushed the six-month conflict into a sharper phase.
Iran said the wedding attack in the south hit a civilian gathering in Sirik, killing a child among the victims and wounding more than 50 others. Iranian officials condemned the strike in strong terms and accused Washington of deliberately targeting civilians.
Washington did not comment specifically on the wedding incident but maintained that its forces do not target civilians. US officials blamed Iran for earlier attempts to mine the Strait of Hormuz and for missile strikes on a base in Jordan.
Iran’s security chief said Tehran would soon unveil a new strategy across military, diplomatic, and economic fronts, warning that it would challenge the current pressure. Iranian negotiators described the US actions as deliberate and aggressive, with one official calling Washington “Satan” in response to the wedding attack.
The fresh wave of strikes followed earlier US bombardments and Iranian missile and drone responses that reached Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq’s Kurdistan region, and parts of the Gulf. Several deaths were also reported in Iran’s southern and western provinces from the latest US strikes.
Despite the rising casualties, some Iranians expressed hope that both sides would return to talks, saying ordinary people on their side are the ones bearing the brunt of the fighting.
