Iran attacks US bases in Kuwait after US strike hits wedding party

Mourners gathered in the late afternoon outside the village of Kuhestak in Sirik County, their procession moving beneath a canopy of palm fronds along the coast of the Strait of Hormuz. A pickup truck carried the flag-draped coffin of Amir-Mohammad Karimi, a 4-year-old child killed in a United States airstrike. As doleful music played from loudspeakers, mourners threw petals into the air, marking a funeral for four victims of a strike that reportedly hit a wedding ceremony.

Following the airstrikes, Iran launched waves of missiles and drones targeting US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, and Bahrain. While the US military maintains it never targets civilians, the deaths of Iranian civilians have become a focal point of the conflict, which has seen 1,701 civilians killed in Iran as of April 7, according to the independent Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

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Brent crude futures surged for four straight days, climbing over $96 a barrel on Thursday, September 3, 2026. The volatility reflects the criticality of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carried 20% of global oil and gas shipments before the war began.

The Iranian Red Crescent released video of debris and a building with a large hole in the roof, images Reuters verified using satellite imagery showing a fallen utility tower 136 metres from the damaged structure. However, the US military's Central Command, via spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, stated the military never targets civilians.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters on September 3 that the US is investigating the incident, adding that when the US military makes mistakes, they learn from them to try to get better. This admission follows a separate, unresolved incident at a girls' school in Minab where 160 people were killed. Two sources told Reuters that the Minab blast may have resulted from the use of outdated targeting data, though the Pentagon has not issued an official finding.

President Donald Trump launched "Operation Epic Fury" in February with three primary goals:

• Ending Iran's nuclear programme.
• Halting Iran's ability to attack its neighbours.
• Creating conditions for Iranians to topple their leadership.

While the US has implemented a blockade—with CENTCOM reporting it has redirected 87 commercial vessels and disabled three—Iran's clerical rulers remain in power.

In July, the US abruptly halted two weeks of intensive airstrikes after military warnings that Washington was running low on munitions. President Trump has since disputed this, claiming on social media that the US has virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition and accusing those reporting shortages of being treasonous.

Top aides are reportedly pushing to prevent further escalation before the November 3 midterm elections to mitigate Republican electoral losses, particularly as the war remains unpopular at home and has increased gasoline costs. According to four people familiar with the discussions, officials are considering ramping up military action only after the vote has occurred.

Escalation and Retaliation Chronology

By Tuesday night, the US conducted nationwide strikes in Iran, including the attack in Kuhestak. Iran's health minister reported 18 people killed and 108 wounded in that wave.

Tehran responded on Wednesday with missile and drone attacks targeting US assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait. These operations continued early Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the European Union has joined "Operation Economic Outcast" to cut off the regime's access to the global financial system. Simultaneously, the State Department praised Peru's decision to sever diplomatic ties with Tehran.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed he was deeply alarmed by the reports of civilian casualties, according to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, via USA Today.

Vice President JD Vance has maintained that Iran is losing their capabilities by the day and that its control over the Strait of Hormuz is effectively gone. While he declined to specify the next step the administration might take, he stated the US will not engage diplomatically until Tehran stops attacking commercial shipping.