New US Missile, Untested in Battle, Hit Iranian School and Sports Hall, NY Times Analysis Finds

(U.S. Central Command via AP)

A newly developed U.S. ballistic missile appears to have struck a sports hall and adjacent elementary school in southern Iran during the opening hours of the conflict, according to visual analysis and weapons experts at The New York Times.

The strike in the city of Lamerd on the opening day of the conflict, February 28, killed at least 21 people, according to Iranian officials, with footage verified by investigators showing explosions the newspaper claims are consistent with the Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM, a weapon not previously used in combat.

Videos captured from security cameras show a missile descending before detonating midair in a large fireball. Other footage shows an explosion directly above the sports hall and nearby school. Images from the aftermath reveal buildings pockmarked with small holes, consistent with tungsten pellets dispersed by the missile’s airburst design.

The sites hit sit close to a compound belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), The Times reported, though satellite imagery indicates the civilian buildings have long been separated by walls.

At the time of the alleged strike, the sports hall was reportedly in use by a female volleyball team, at the school. Images the newspaper sourced from inside the school show blown-out windows, fire damage, and visible bloodstains.

Adm. Brad Cooper, The Times noted, had confirmed the use of a PrSM, a next-generation system designed to target troops and vehicles at distances of up to 400 miles. The weapon only completed prototype testing last year and has been publicly promoted by the U.S. military following its combat debut.

“While we knew PrSM was fired, this is the first look we’ve gotten at the business end of the system,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear nonproliferation expert, told The Times. Another analyst said “the pattern of fragmentation damages are impressive and match with the few technical information available on the PrSM.”

Responding to reports, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson said: “We’re aware of the reports and are looking into them. U.S. forces do not indiscriminately target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime.”

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