An Iranian town mourns in “unimaginable grief”
Joy turned to mourning in the small town of Kuhestak in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province. An explosion struck a house during a wedding celebration on the night of Sept. 1, killing at least four people and wounding 68. Among the dead was a four-year-old child. Local authorities and Iran’s Red Crescent confirmed the casualties.
According to a report in The Guardian, the explosion struck the Baluch-majority town, located near the Strait of Hormuz, around 9:30 p.m. Residents said the wedding celebration had just begun. Relatives and friends of the bride and groom were waiting, and more guests were still expected to arrive for the henna ceremony, when a massive blast shook the entire area.
Videos circulating on social media show part of the house destroyed, with debris, wedding garlands and decorations scattered around, and bloodied shoes lying amid the wreckage. Footage shared by locals captured the devastating scene in the aftermath of the strike.
According to Iranian state media and local residents, the house belonged to Ali Mallahi, a fisherman, who had gathered guests there for his daughter’s wedding. Standing amid the rubble in one video, Mallahi said he was deeply shaken by the attack, but expressed gratitude to God that the casualties were not higher.
Grief has settled over Kuhestak since the attack. A local barber, Ahmad, said the damage was not confined to the wedding house alone — many nearby homes were also damaged, and neighbors were injured by debris thrown from the blast.
“Our town is small. We all know each other, like brothers. We’re all in mourning,” he said. His voice then turned to anger and despair. “We’re not just carrying coffins on our shoulders,” he said. “We’re carrying the dark future that awaits the south.”
Baluch human rights activists allege that internet access has been cut and residents warned against speaking with foreign human rights groups or media, making independent investigation and information-gathering difficult. Still, relatives and locals continue posting photos and videos on social media.
Baluchistan human rights activist Farzin Qadkhodaei said the dead were ordinary civilians who had gathered for a wedding. Their deaths on what should have been a joyous day have brought “unimaginable grief” to their families.
Chakar Baloch, a 35-year-old fisherman from the Makran coast, said: “We are the victims. We are coastal people. Year after year we go out to sea, struggle to make a living, and just want to survive.”
A Baluch resident of Sirik posed an even sharper question: “Who do I ask for answers? The United States, which attacked us in this war? Or the rulers who brought this war to our doorstep?”