What is a 'double-tap' missile strike? US Air Force accused of targeted killing of wedding party in Iran's Sirik

A US airstrike killed at least five people attending a wedding in Iran's southern county of Sirik, the Islamic Republic said.

According to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 50 people, including women and children, were killed and wounded in an attack that hit the city of Kuhestak early on Wednesday. It was not drones but US fighter aircraft that were responsible for the brutal attack that reportedly failed to strike any military target but ended up harming scores of civilians.

The U.S. military's Central Command maintains that it struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air defences, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites on Tuesday. Iranian media, meanwhile, reported hits on multiple targets near the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway where Tehran has threatened tankers attempting to pass without authorisation. Iran said it struck U.S. assets in Jordan and Iraq, according to official statements, while Iranian media reports said it also attacked Bahrain.

There were visuals of a destroyed building and scattered debris following the strike. The Iranian Red Crescent Society also published pictures of several children receiving treatment at a hospital, Al Jazeera said in a report.

Meanwhile, pro-Tehran social media reports claimed that it was a "double-tap" airstrike. Many handles sharing visuals of the Sirik attack made the claim, while neither Tehran nor Washington has commented on it. "Footage of the MOMENT U.S. Struck the Wedding in Iran. It was a DOUBLE TAP. Multiple Missiles. SO MANY KIDS got hurt and reports say at least five people, including two children, were killed," one such report said.

THE WEEK could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.

Similar allegations had arisen on February 28, when 165 people were killed — most of them children — at Iran's Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in a targeted airstrike. Initially, it was believed to have been carried out by Israel, but it was later revealed to be by US forces. Unconfirmed reports claim the school compound witnessed a "double tap", which gave the victims no chance of survival.

What is a 'double-tap' missile strike?

A double-tap strike can be executed by missiles as well as drones. It is a military tactic where an initial attack is followed by a second strike on the exact same location after a brief interval. Depending on the situation and objectives, the second strike can happen within a few minutes to an hour.

The primary objective of the second strike remains debatable. While one can argue it is launched to ensure the original target is completely destroyed or has no chance of survival, and to ensure maximum damage to the enemy, it is often claimed that the strategy is a purposeful move to hit bystanders and first responders, including healthcare professionals and rescuers who arrive at the scene.

This is why the second strike is often delayed — so that onlookers gather at the spot and help arrives. Critics of this strategy call the interval between the first and second strike "the cooldown period". Double-tap strikes work against the principle that militaries must distinguish between combatants and civilians or medical professionals. Their use as psychological warfare — as medical workers will be scared to help survivors, fearing for their own safety — is viewed as cruelty, if not a war crime, by many.