Newlyweds in Iran's Ahvaz stand before resort ruins

Shafaq News- Khuzestan

A bride and groom stood before the ruins of a damaged guest houses at the Ritaj tourist resort in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, in a scene that captured both the destruction of war and a determination to move forward.

The resort in Ahvaz —the capital of Khuzestan province— was hit in an airstrike early on March 21, 2026, during Nowruz celebrations, according to media reports and statements from local officials. Iranian officials and local reports accused Israel and the United States of carrying out the attack. The complex includes a restaurant, cultural halls and 18 guest houses for visitors and travelers.

In an interview with Shafaq News, Tabar Gharib, deputy head of Khuzestan's Heritage Department, said the resort was “a public and tourist site, not a military site or a place used for military purposes.”

She said the strike took place at night and that two people staying in one of the targeted houses were killed, while others were wounded in the bombardment.

Images showed the wreckage of a place that once welcomed families and visitors. One photograph showed the newlyweds standing beside the rubble, their wedding clothes contrasting with the damaged buildings around them.