TEHRAN — The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Major General Ahmad Vahidi, has denounced the alleged killings of civilians in a US military attack, saying that the perpetrators would one day face justice.
Iranian media reported that Vahidi condemned a supposed US missile attack on a wedding party in southern Iran, where several individuals were reportedly killed and others injured. He explained the alleged attack as a manifestation of what he termed the aggressive character of the US military operations, especially since women and children were reportedly among the victims.
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Vahidi told that the civilian deaths would not be forgotten and that Iran would not overlook the casualties caused by the continued military activities. He also dismissed the notion that such attacks would undermine the popular will to resist foreign pressure.
The reports indicate that the incident happened during a wedding party in southern Iran. The strike has caused anger and grief in Iran, with the authorities denouncing what they termed an assault on civilians.
Vahidi claimed that the Iranian people would not be deterred by the pressure and hard conditions, and that military action against civilians would only make them more determined.
The United States has, however, insisted that its military action in Iran has been directed at military installations and other strategic targets. US officials have denied claims that American troops intentionally attacked civilians.
The contradictory reports highlight the increasing confusion on the issue of civilian casualties as military tensions between the two nations continue to rise. The reported strike and the circumstances under which it took place have not been confirmed independently yet.
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The Iranian officials have not given a clear explanation of the number of casualties or the place and nature of the reported strike. The event will probably fuel the debate on civilian safety as the hostilities persist and both parties hold radically divergent explanations of military actions.
The comments made by Vahidi are an indication that the leadership of Iran is planning to present the civilian casualties as a subset of the overall effects of the war and that any attack on Iranian soil may have implications that extend beyond the battlefield.
