CENTCOM denies Araghchi's claims, accuses Iran of killing civilians

• The US military accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, residential neighborhoods and other facilities across Gulf countries.
• CENTCOM also alleged that Iranian attacks on commercial vessels had killed more than 20 civilian mariners in recent months.

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) accused Iran on Sunday of targeting civilian infrastructure, residential neighborhoods and commercial vessels across the Gulf, responding to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's remarks that Tehran had not attacked civilians in neighboring countries.

In a statement published on social media, CENTCOM rejected Araghchi's assertion, labeling it “false” and accusing Iran of deliberately striking civilian facilities and neighborhoods in neighboring Gulf states.

“Iran has not only intentionally attacked civilian infrastructure, neighborhoods, and other facilities in neighboring Gulf countries, but it has also deliberately attacked civilian mariners at sea, killing more than 20 in recent months,” the command said.

CENTCOM described the alleged attacks as evidence of what it called Iran's “indiscriminate aggression,” without providing a breakdown of the reported maritime fatalities in its statement.

Independent reporting has documented civilian deaths and injuries resulting from Iranian attacks across the Gulf. Human Rights Watch reported that Iranian strikes had killed at least 11 civilians and injured at least 268 across Gulf Cooperation Council countries since February 28, citing government figures.

The attacks affected Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with residential buildings, hotels, airports and other civilian facilities among the sites struck.

The International Maritime Organization also reported 21 attacks on commercial vessels since Fen. 28, resulting in 10 seafarer fatalities as of April 2. The figures confirm casualties among civilian maritime crews, although they do not independently substantiate CENTCOM's claim that more than 20 mariners had been killed.

CENTCOM's response to Araghchi, meanwhile, did not address civilian casualties resulting from US military operations inside Iran, including the deadly strike on a girls' school in Minab and a reported attack on a wedding gathering in southern Iran.

🚫 CLAIM: Iran’s foreign minister recently claimed publicly that Iran has not attacked civilians in neighboring countries. This is FALSE. ✅ FACT: Iran has not only intentionally attacked civilian infrastructure, neighborhoods, and other facilities in neighboring Gulf countries, but it has also deliberately attacked civilian mariners at sea — killing more than 20 in recent months. Iran’s indiscriminate aggression is clearly evident and inexcusable.

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 2, 2026

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