Experts dispute US account of deadly Iran sports hall strike in Lamerd

Experts dispute US account of deadly Iran sports hall strike in Lamerd

A significant controversy has emerged over the U.S. assertion that Iran carried out a deadly missile strike on Lamerd, a town in southern Iran, on the first day of the war. Six specialists who analyzed the incident’s footage and provided independent assessments have challenged the claim, arguing that the weapon involved was not an Iranian missile. Their analysis focused on visible traits, the explosion pattern, flight path, and the frequency of strikes in the region.

Initial Report by BBC Verify

On 28 March, BBC Verify reported that the attack likely used a U.S. Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), citing experts who noted its appearance, the blast radius, and proximity to potential U.S. launch sites. The U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which supervises military operations in the Middle East, did not respond to the initial inquiry. However, Centcom later released a statement on 31 March, asserting that the footage matched an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile. The statement included a critique of U.S. forces, claiming they do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime, which has launched over 300 attacks on civilian areas in neighboring nations.

“US forces do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime which has attacked civilian locations in neighboring countries more than 300 times,”

the Centcom statement emphasized. When BBC Verify revisited the case with the experts’ findings, Centcom offered no additional insights, sticking to its original claim.

Verified Footage and Expert Analysis

The CCTV footage, confirmed and geolocated by BBC Verify, showed a missile shortly before it exploded over a residential zone in Lamerd. Experts argued that the weapon was more likely a U.S. missile, pointing to its size and the airburst effect, which disperses fragments over a broader area—a trait seen in advanced systems like the PrSM. Despite the low-resolution video, the mid-air detonation was unmistakable.

Analysts from Janes and McKenzie Intelligence identified the missile as a PrSM, highlighting its unique design elements. Amael Kotlarski of Janes noted that the Hoveyzeh missile has a turbojet engine and wings visible from any angle, which were absent in the footage. “None of that is clearly distinguishable from the video,” he stated.

“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 added. A McKenzie Intelligence expert further pointed out the absence of external engines or wings, underscoring the missile’s distinctiveness.

Additional Strike in Minab

On the same day, nearly 400 kilometers east, strikes hit an Iranian school and a military base in Minab, resulting in 168 casualties, according to officials. Expert video analysis suggested a U.S. Tomahawk missile was responsible for the military compound’s destruction. U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the incident was under investigation, reiterating that U.S. forces “never target civilian targets.”

U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins later stated: “After reviewing the reports, Centcom has confirmed the accusations are false.” He noted that the missile in the footage was “twice as long,” aligning with the Hoveyzeh’s dimensions. “The munition depicted in the video appears to be consistent with the Hoveyzeh cruise missile,” he concluded.