In brief
Following a deadly missile strike on Lamerd, Iran, experts have disputed US claims attributing responsibility to Iranian forces. While Iranian officials report that 21 people were killed, independent analysts suggest that the missile was likely of US origin, highlighting discrepancies in the visual characteristics and detonation patterns. This discussion brings to light the ongoing tensions and complexities surrounding military actions in the region.
Multiple weapons experts have disputed a US claim that Iran may have been responsible for a deadly strike on the town of Lamerd on the first day of the war. Six experts, who examined footage of the strike and all commented independently, contested the US suggestion that it was an Iranian missile, citing the missile's visual features, the way it exploded, its trajectory and the number of strikes in the area as the basis for their analysis.Iranian officials have said 21 people, including four children, were killed. BBC Verify originally reported on the strikes on 28 March, citing experts who said it was likely a US Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) was used. The US Central Command (Centcom) - which oversees US military operations in the Middle East - declined to comment for that report.Centcom released a statement on 31 March denying it was a US missile, instead saying that footage of the attack was consistent with an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile. The statement emphasized, 'US forces do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime which has attacked civilian locations in neighboring countries more than 300 times.'When BBC Verify went back to Centcom with the experts' analysis, it said it had nothing to add to its original statement.Lamerd, a town in southern Iran, came under attack on 28 February. CCTV footage published by Iranian state media - which was authenticated and geolocated by BBC Verify - showed a munition moments before it exploded above a residential area. Experts identified it as likely being a US missile, based on its appearance, the size of the blast and the distance from potential US launch sites in the Middle East.In BBC Verify's initial report, three analysts at the defence intelligence company Janes and an expert at McKenzie Intelligence all said the missile seen in the footage was likely a PrSM - a brand new missile manufactured by Lockheed Martin for the US military. A New York Times report also found that a PrSM likely hit Lamerd.Despite video evidence, US Navy Capt Tim Hawkins said in a subsequent statement that the accusations are false, asserting 'U.S. forces did not launch any strikes at any time into the city of Lamerd'. He detailed that the munition depicted in the video appears to be consistent with Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile, noting its dimensional characteristics.Experts countered Centcom's claims, asserting that distinctive features of the Hoveyzeh were not visible in the strike footage and that the effective airburst seen is consistent with advanced munitions like the PrSM.As the investigation continues, the implications of responsibility for civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict reflect the complexities of military engagements in the region.
