Iran says deadly US missile attack on sports hall killed 21 civilians, including teenagers

Iran said Thursday that a US missile strike on a sports hall in the country's south killed 21 civilians on Feb. 28, including teenagers, denouncing the attack as a "despicable war crime."

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the attack struck a sports facility in the city of Lamerd in Fars province.

"The American new #PrSM missile … struck a crowded sports hall filled with innocent teenagers," he said in a statement on the US social media company X.

"The attack killed 21 young boys and girls," he added.

"The missile explodes above its target, dispersing thousands of lethal fragments (tungsten pellets) to maximize human casualties," he added.

Baqaei accused the US of deliberately targeting civilians and described the attack as a "despicable war crime."

According to visual evidence examined by the New York Times and weapons experts, a newly developed US missile struck civilian sites in southern Iran, targeting a sports hall and an adjacent elementary school near a military compound in the city of Lamerd.

An analysis of videos and photos from the scene suggested the weapon used was a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a short-range ballistic missile developed by the US Army.

The US and Israel have maintained an air offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.