Experts dispute US account of deadly Iran sports hall strike in Lamerd
Experts dispute US account of deadly Iran sports hall strike in Lamerd
On the first day of the war, a deadly strike on Lamerd, a southern Iranian town, sparked debate over responsibility. Multiple weapons specialists have challenged the U.S. assertion that Iran was the culprit, citing visual evidence and technical analysis. Six experts, who reviewed the attack footage and provided independent assessments, contested the claim that the missile used was Iranian, focusing on its appearance, explosion pattern, flight path, and the number of impacts in the region.
US Central Command’s initial denial
Centcom, which manages U.S. military operations in the Middle East, initially declined to comment on BBC Verify’s report. However, it later issued a statement on 31 March, asserting that the footage aligns with an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile. The statement added, “US forces do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime which has attacked civilian locations in neighboring countries more than 300 times.”
“After looking into the reports, U.S. Central Command has confirmed the accusations are false.” “U.S. forces did not launch any strikes at any time into the city of Lamerd or anywhere within 30 miles during the opening day of Operation Epic Fury,” said US Navy Capt Tim Hawkins. “The munition depicted in the video appears to be twice as long, consistent with the dimensions and silhouette of an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile,” he noted.
Verified footage raises questions
Authentic CCTV footage, geolocated and confirmed by BBC Verify, showed a missile moments before it exploded above a residential area in Lamerd. Experts argued the weapon’s characteristics—such as its size and mid-air detonation—were more consistent with a U.S. Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). The PrSM, a new weapon developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to explode above ground to spread fragments over a broader zone, a feature visible in the low-resolution video.
Discrepancies in missile identification
Several analysts, including those from Janes and McKenzie Intelligence, claimed the missile in the footage lacked wings or an external engine, pointing to its appearance as evidence. Amael Kotlarski, a Janes weapons analyst, noted that the Hoveyzeh missile has a belly-mounted turbojet and mid-body wings, which should be visible regardless of viewing angle. Yet, these features were absent in the verified footage.
“Crucially, no matter the angle from which the missile is viewed, the wings and the turbo jet would be visible. None of that is clearly distinguishable from the footage,” Kotlarski said.
Another expert from McKenzie Intelligence emphasized the absence of wings or an engine in the video, suggesting the presence of canard fins—a hallmark of the PrSM. “I remain convinced that the weapon seen is a PrSM and not an Iranian Hoveyzeh Cruise Missile,” they stated, highlighting the visual differences between the two.
Additional strikes in Minab
On the same day, nearly 400km east of Lamerd, strikes targeted an Iranian school and military base in Minab, resulting in 168 casualties. Video analysis indicated the attack in Minab may have involved a U.S. Tomahawk missile, though the exact weapon remains under scrutiny. U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the incident was being investigated, reiterating that “US forces never target civilian targets.”
Meanwhile, the debate over Lamerd’s strike continues, with experts emphasizing that the footage’s details contradict Centcom’s conclusion. Trevor Ball, a Bellingcat analyst, noted the missile’s length and silhouette were “much more consistent with the PrSM” than the Hoveyzeh. “The Hoveyzeh silhouette is also much different, with wings and a visible engine depending on angle,” he added.
