Multiple weapons experts have disputed a U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) was used. The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) - which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East - declined to comment for that report. Centcom then released a statement on 31 March denying it was a U.S. missile, instead saying that footage of the attack was consistent with an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile.
U.S. forces do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime which has attacked civilian locations in neighboring countries more than 300 times, stated Centcom. When BBC Verify revisited Centcom with the experts' analysis, they said they had nothing to add to their 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 U.S. missile, based on its appearance, the size of the blast and the distance from potential U.S. launch sites in the Middle East.
In BBC Verify's initial report, three analysts at the defense 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 U.S. military. A New York Times report also found that a PrSM likely hit Lamerd.
On Tuesday, U.S. Navy Capt Tim Hawkins stated: After looking into the reports, U.S. Central Command has confirmed the accusations are false. He added, U.S. 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, maintaining that the munition depicted in the video could be identified as an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile. However, multiple weapons experts disputed this claim, arguing that the key identifiable features of the Iranian missile were absent from the footage. They believe the evidence points towards a more sophisticated weapon consistent with a U.S. missile.
Analysis of the strike's aftermath indicated the nature of the explosion was indicative of an advanced munition typically employed by U.S. forces, raising further questions about the true circumstances surrounding the incident.
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 U.S. Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) was used. The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) - which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East - declined to comment for that report. Centcom then released a statement on 31 March denying it was a U.S. missile, instead saying that footage of the attack was consistent with an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile.
U.S. forces do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime which has attacked civilian locations in neighboring countries more than 300 times, stated Centcom. When BBC Verify revisited Centcom with the experts' analysis, they said they had nothing to add to their 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 U.S. missile, based on its appearance, the size of the blast and the distance from potential U.S. launch sites in the Middle East.
In BBC Verify's initial report, three analysts at the defense 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 U.S. military. A New York Times report also found that a PrSM likely hit Lamerd.
On Tuesday, U.S. Navy Capt Tim Hawkins stated: After looking into the reports, U.S. Central Command has confirmed the accusations are false. He added, U.S. 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, maintaining that the munition depicted in the video could be identified as an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile. However, multiple weapons experts disputed this claim, arguing that the key identifiable features of the Iranian missile were absent from the footage. They believe the evidence points towards a more sophisticated weapon consistent with a U.S. missile.
Analysis of the strike's aftermath indicated the nature of the explosion was indicative of an advanced munition typically employed by U.S. forces, raising further questions about the true circumstances surrounding the incident.
