World News
First reported combat use of US missile killed Iranian civilians far from blast site, report says
A conflict monitor and weapons experts linked Lockheed Martin's Precision Strike Missile to civilian casualties in Lamerd, though US Central Command denied responsibility.
The short version
- A review by conflict monitor Airwars and weapons experts indicates that Lockheed Martin's new Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) likely caused the deaths of at least 21 Iranian civilians on Feb. 28.
- The air-bursting missiles spray tens of thousands of tungsten pellets, causing deaths up to 50 meters away and structural damage up to 170 meters away in residential areas of Lamerd.
- U.S. Central Command confirmed deploying PrSMs during the Iran operation but repeatedly denied launching strikes into Lamerd, suggesting an Iranian missile may have been involved.
- Defense experts warn against using the wide-area weapon near populated regions, even as the U.S., U.K., and Australia proceed with multi-billion-dollar procurements.
Key facts
- An investigation by Airwars and weapons experts concluded that PrSM detonations in Lamerd, Iran, killed at least 21 civilians—including seven children—and caused damage up to 170 meters away.[Associated Press]
- The Lockheed Martin Precision Strike Missile is designed to explode midair and discharge high-speed tungsten pellets across a broad radius.[Associated Press]
- U.S. Central Command acknowledged using PrSMs in Iran for the first time in combat but denied firing any munitions into Lamerd on Feb. 28.[Associated Press]
- Six weapons experts consulted by AP ruled out Iranian and Israeli weapons, identifying the blast damage as consistent with the PrSM.[Associated Press]
- The U.S., U.K., and Australia have committed billions of dollars toward procuring and expanding production of the PrSM system.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- U.S. Central Command denied attacking Lamerd and posited that footage suggested an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile, a claim disputed by independent weapons experts.[Associated Press]
- The intended target of the strikes remains unknown; an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps compound was nearby but showed no satellite-visible damage.[Associated Press]