Tehran has accused the United States of carrying out a deadly missile strike on a sports hall and nearby residential area in Lamerd city of Iran’s Fars Province. Iranian officials claimed the attack killed 24 civilians, including teenage volleyball players and a two-year-old girl, while more than 130 others suffered injuries, many of them severe.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei made the allegations on Tuesday through a post on X. He described the incident as a “despicable war crime” and said the attack was carried out using American Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). According to him, the strike took place on February 28, 2026, the same day Iran alleged that students at the Shajareh Tayyibeh School in Minab were killed in another missile attack.

Baghaei said he received details about the incident during a meeting with Iranian MP Mousa Mousavi. In his statement, he wrote, “During a meeting with Dr. Mousa Mousavi, the member of Parliament for Mehr & Lamerd, I was briefed on the harrowing details of a devastating American missile strike on a sports hall in the city of Lamerd, Fars Province.”

He further stated, “On the afternoon of Saturday, 9 Esfand 1404 (28 February 2026), the same day students at the Shajareh_Tayyibeh_School in Minab were massacred by Tomahawk missiles--a residential area in Lamerd, including a sports hall, was struck by U.S. Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM).”

According to Baghaei, the strike caused large-scale destruction in the crowded area. He said, “slaughtered 24 persons, including a 2-year-old girl, several teenage volleyball players”, while “more than 130 persons were injured, many of whom now face permanent disabilities.”

The Iranian spokesperson also claimed that the missiles exploded before hitting the ground and released thousands of metal fragments over the area. He alleged that the weapons “detonated in the air before impact, unleashing 180000 of high-velocity tungsten pellets that tore through the area in every direction with devastating force.”

Baghaei insisted the attack was deliberate and not an accidental strike. He said, “There is no longer any doubt that the United States deliberately targeted a residential neighbourhood and a civilian sports hall in Lamerd.”

Calling the alleged operation intentional, he added, “This was not a mistake--it was a calculated decision to test the destructive power of a new weapon system on Iranian civilians. Such an act constitutes a clear and despicable war crime.”

The Iranian official also demanded legal action against those responsible for the incident. He stated, “Those who ordered and executed this attack must be held accountable before any competent court of law.”

Baghaei said Iran would not forget those killed in the attack. He wrote, “The Iranian nation will never forget its martyred sons and daughters. We will neither forget nor forgive this crime.”

In another reference to the alleged attack, Baghaei highlighted an earlier post made on April 2. He claimed that the Precision Strike Missile used in Lamerd had made its first combat appearance during the February 28 strike.

He wrote, “The American new PrSM missile, which made its combat debut on 28 February 2026, struck a crowded sports hall filled with innocent teenagers in the city of Lamerd, Fars Province.”

Baghaei further claimed, “The attack killed 21 young boys and girls. The missile explodes above its target, dispersing thousands of lethal fragments (tungsten pellets) to maximise human casualties.”

Again, describing the incident as “a despicable war crime,” the Iranian spokesperson ended his remarks by quoting Syrian poet Ghada al-Samman. He wrote, “They keep talking and never fall silent for even a moment--perhaps this endless chatter comes from their fear of hearing the voice of their own conscience.”

So far, there has been no immediate response from the United States regarding the allegations made by Iran. The claims come amid continuing tensions in the region and add to the already strained relations between Tehran and Washington.