How a New U.S. Weapon Killed 21 Civilians in Iran

Why It Matters

The use of a mid‑air, pellet‑based missile that kills civilians while sparing structures challenges legal norms and signals a potentially more indiscriminate U.S. weapons strategy as budget allocations expand.

Key Takeaways

• New U.S. Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) used in Iran attack
• PrSM detonates mid‑air, releasing 180,000 lethal pellets across neighborhoods
• At least 21 civilians killed, including children at a recreational center
• Satellite imagery shows minimal structural damage despite high casualty count
• U.S. denies involvement; Pentagon plans to quadruple PrSM budget

Summary

New York Times Visual Investigations identified a U.S. Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) strike on Lamerd, southern Iran, as the source of a deadly attack that killed at least 21 civilians on Feb. 28, the first day of the U.S.–Israel campaign against Tehran. The team used high‑resolution satellite imagery and on‑the‑ground reports to trace a small roof hole and a pattern of thousands of impact points, concluding the weapon detonated in mid‑air and showered the area with roughly 180,000 metal pellets.

The PrSM, promoted as a next‑generation long‑range precision system, does not rely on direct impact. Instead, its airburst creates a wide‑area pellet blast that can devastate people and vehicles while leaving buildings largely intact. The investigation documented shrapnel damage to cars, a beauty salon, homes and a blood‑transfusion center, and recorded the deaths of children playing volleyball and soccer, including two‑year‑old Avina Barzegar.

Journalist Negin Bagheri’s interviews and state‑media photos corroborated the casualty figures, showing over 2,000 pellet strikes on a single road and hundreds on residential blocks. Despite the Pentagon’s denial and claims that Iranian weapons were responsible, the visual evidence matched manufacturer animations of the PrSM’s mid‑air explosion.

The findings raise urgent questions about the weapon’s compliance with international humanitarian law, the transparency of U.S. military operations, and the planned quadrupling of the PrSM budget. If deployed widely, the missile’s lethal pellet effect could increase civilian risk in future conflicts, prompting scrutiny from policymakers and human‑rights advocates.

Original Description

Evidence shows a new missile championed by the U.S. military struck a residential neighborhood in Iran in February, unleashing thousands of deadly pellets on homes, schools and streets. Here’s what that looked like on the ground.

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