US Strike on Lamerd sports hall killed 24, was ‘calculated war crime’: Iran

Iran accused the United States of committing a “despicable war crime” after an alleged missile strike on a sports hall and nearby residential area in Lamerd, Fars Province, killed 24 civilians and injured more than 130 people, as per reports.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei reportedly said that the attack targeted a crowded sports hall filled with teenagers and families, including volleyball players and children.

In a post on X, Baghaei said he had been briefed by Iranian MP Mousa Mousavi about what he described as a “devastating American missile strike” carried out on February 28, 2026.

According to Baghaei, the strike involved US Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), which he claimed detonated mid-air and released thousands of tungsten pellets across the area.

“The attack slaughtered 24 persons, including a 2-year-old girl and several teenage volleyball players,” he said, adding that many of the injured could face permanent disabilities.”

Baghaei alleged the strike was intentional and not accidental.

“There is no longer any doubt that the United States deliberately targeted a residential neighborhood and a civilian sports hall in Lamerd,” he said. “This was not a mistake, it was a calculated decision to test the destructive power of a new weapon system on Iranian civilians.”

Calling the incident a “clear and despicable war crime,” the Iranian official demanded accountability for those responsible and said Iran “will neither forget nor forgive this crime.”

He also claimed the US Precision Strike Missile made its combat debut during the Lamerd attack and described the weapon as designed to maximise casualties through airborne fragmentation.