Overview
- Three missiles struck Lamerd on Feb. 28, 2026, and Iranian officials say the blasts killed at least 21 civilians, including seven children.
- Airwars mapped blast sites, casualty locations and damage radii and the Associated Press independently verified that analysis on Aug. 31, 2026.
- Multiple weapons experts told AP they assess the blast patterns and pellet damage are consistent with the U.S. Precision Strike Missile, which airbursts to disperse tens of thousands of dense tungsten pellets.
- U.S. Central Command has confirmed firing PrSMs into Iran but denies responsibility for the Lamerd strikes and suggested an Iranian Hoveyzeh missile was involved, an assessment munitions experts have publicly disputed.
- Procurement of the PrSM has accelerated since the strikes, including a Pentagon contract worth over $4 billion and UK and Australian purchases, raising urgent questions about rules for using pellet-dispersing missiles near populated areas and accountability for civilian harm.