ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran on Wednesday condemned as "brutal war crimes" the killing of civilians at a wedding party during overnight US strikes on the country, asserting that its own retaliatory strikes were defensive in nature and calling on regional countries to prevent American forces from using their territory.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday evening announced it was targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, following “recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members.”

The attacks targeted “air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities, and communications sites,” CENTCOM said.

Iran in turn responded by bombing US installations across the region, including strikes on the Kurdistan Region, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the aggressive actions of the United States against our beloved homeland on the evening of Tuesday, September 10, in the strongest terms and emphasizes the determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran to decisively defend the independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Iran," the Iranian foreign ministry said, accusing Washington of attacking "several civilian areas and service infrastructure."

The ministry further claimed that a strike on a wedding party in Sirik's Kohstak resulted in over 70 people being killed or wounded, noting that most of the casualties were women and children.

"These brutal war crimes, which are a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, are reminiscent of previous American-Zionist crimes over the past year and a half, including in Minab and Lamerd."

Video footage shared by IRGC-affiliated media showed scenes of chaos at the wedding event, with debris and rubble scattered around celebrants. Iranian state TV subsequently confirmed that at least four people were killed in the bombardment, including a four-year-old child.

"In response to the US military aggression, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with their inherent right of self-defense, subjected the US military bases, which were the source and supporter of the US military aggression against the Iranian nation, to defensive and crushing blows," the ministry continued.

Missile interceptions were announced by all of the aforementioned countries that were targeted in the Iranian strikes, with no fatalities having been reported as of yet.

The Iranian statement echoed longstanding calls for regional nations hosting a US military presence to prevent "the American aggressors from using their facilities and territory to prepare and carry out aggressive operations against Iran."

The recent escalation comes as little progress has been made in bringing the war to a conclusive halt. Despite US President Donald Trump’s insistence that the Strait of Hormuz is open for transit, shipping data shows that commercial passage through the strategic waterway still remains significantly below pre-conflict levels amid ongoing Iranian restrictions.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said that Tehran is ready to return to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Washington in July, which saw the temporary reopening of the strait before the US accused Iran of breaching its terms by targeting vessels failing to comply with Iranian-imposed shipping routes.