Around 3 a.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2026, two people were reportedly killed and 11 people injured, including one person reported to be in critical condition, in an alleged U.S. strike on the Shalamcheh international border crossing in Khuzestan province, Iran. The two fatalities were later identified as members of the Iranian military and have therefore been excluded from the civilian casualty toll.
In the early hours of July 23, multiple videos circulated on social media showing explosions at the Shalamcheh border crossing. Footage obtained by Iran International and published via Instagram showed the moment one of the explosions occurred, while IRIB News reported via Telegram published video footage capturing the strike and its immediate aftermath. In the IRIB News footage, a woman is seen running and shouting, "My child; my child," while another man can be heard telling people not to be afraid. @urmiashahr on Telegram stated that the attack was “on Imam Hussein pilgrims.”
Shortly afterwards, ISNA reported via Telegram that, according to Khuzestan Deputy Governor Valiollah Hayati, two people had been killed and 11 others injured in what he described as an American missile attack on the Shalamcheh international border. Hayati added that traffic through the crossing remained open and that emergency and relief operations were ongoing.
On the same day, @maryam73_5 reported via Instagram that Hayati had stated that two "Iranian nationals" were killed and 11 others injured in the attack, while Arbaeen pilgrims continued to pass through the crossing without disruption. The post was accompanied by video footage showing a fire burning at the strike site.
While reporting from the place of the incident, a reporter of Student News Agency | SNN noted: “This smoke is from the 3 a.m. attack on the Shalamcheh border crossing. You can see the damage across the terminal compound. Two people have been killed and 11 injured; one of those injured is in critical condition.” The report showing the partial destruction of a yellow brick wall around the terminal was posted on the media’s official Telegram account, @snntv.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that according to the Public Relations Department of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Department of Abadan University of Medical Sciences, emergency and ambulance teams stationed at the border crossing transferred the injured to medical centres, while medical services for Arbaeen pilgrims continued uninterrupted. IRNA also noted that the Shalamcheh international border crossing in Khorramshahr is one of the principal crossings used by Arbaeen pilgrims travelling between Iran and Iraq, hosting large numbers of domestic and international pilgrims each year. During the Arbaeen period, the crossing operated around the clock, providing transport, accommodation, relief and hospitality services.
Although several initial reports referred to the two fatalities only as "compatriots" or "Iranian nationals", subsequent reporting consistently identified them as members of the Iranian armed forces. Later on July 23, multiple social media accounts identified the two fatalities as Captain Amir Mohammad Salemi and Fahim Tadayyon (Sharifi). Salemi was described as a member of the Army telecommunications site, while Tadayyon (Sharifi) was identified as a Grade 13 employee of the Army Ground Forces. @Iranian_supermen reported via Instagram that the two men had been killed in the U.S. attack on Shalamcheh and published photographs showing both men wearing military uniforms. On July 24, Khuz News reported via Telegram that Fahim Tadayyon (Sharifi) would be buried in Ramhormoz later that day, adding that the funeral and burial ceremony for the "high-ranking martyr" would be held in two parts.
The New York Times reported that verified videos showed damage to a telecommunications tower within a small compound inside the Shalamcheh border crossing facility. The report stated that Iranian and Iraqi media had reported that a police rest station at the crossing had been struck by U.S. airstrikes. While U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that it had conducted a twelfth consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military sites, it did not specifically acknowledge striking the border crossing.
Where sources identified a belligerent, all attributed the reported strike to U.S. forces.