CENTCOM Says Iranian Missile, Not American Strike, Hit Sports Hall in Southern Iran
CENTCOM denied US involvement in a Feb. 28 strike in Lamerd, Iran, stating a sports hall was hit by an Iranian cruise missile, not a US weapon, based on technical evidence.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A wave of conflicting claims over an alleged strike in southern Iran has been firmly rejected by US Central Command, which says a sports hall in Lamerd was not targeted by American forces but struck by an Iranian missile.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday, issued a statement responding to reports circulated in recent days alleging that US forces had struck a sports hall and a residential area in the city of Lamerd, Iran.
US Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for CENTCOM, said the accusations were investigated and found to be false.
“Several media outlets recently reported accusations of US forces striking a sports hall and residential area in the city of Lamerd, Iran, on Feb. 28,” Hawkins stated. “After looking into the reports, US Central Command has confirmed the accusations are false.”
He stressed that on Feb. 28, the opening day of Operation Epic Fury, US forces did not conduct any strikes in Lamerd or within a 30-mile radius of the city.
“US forces did not launch any strikes at any time into the city of Lamerd or anywhere within 30 miles during the opening day of Operation Epic Fury,” he said.
Hawkins also addressed video footage circulated by some media outlets, which allegedly showed evidence of US involvement. He dismissed the claim, noting that the missile shown in the footage does not match the specifications of a US Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
“Video footage circulated by media outlets alleging US involvement does not show a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). A PrSM is 13 feet in length. The munition depicted in the video appears to be twice as long, consistent with the dimensions and silhouette of an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile,” he explained.
CENTCOM concluded that the missile that struck the area was an Iranian-made cruise missile, accusing Tehran of spreading misleading narratives about the incident.
“US forces do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime which has attacked civilian locations in neighboring countries more than 300 times,” Hawkins added.
The statement underscores Washington’s rejection of responsibility for the Lamerd incident, attributing the strike instead to Iranian weaponry based on technical analysis.