An analysis by The New York Times has shown that the US used a new weapon in an attack in southern Iran that it had never used in combat before. The prototype phase was only completed last year.
March 30, 2026, 3:06 p.mMarch 30, 2026, 3:06 p.m
The projectile is the short-range Precision Strike Missile, also known as PrSM (pronounced: “Prism”). The prototype phase was only completed last year, the Pentagon announced in July. Designed to replace the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), it is designed to detonate over the target and scatter tungsten pellets. With a range of over 640 kilometers, it can cover greater distances than the ATACMS.
The PrSM from the manufacturer Lockheed Martin is said to have been used in the attack in Iran on February 28th New York Times found out through video analysis. A US military official and several experts confirmed the PrSM use to the newspaper. The rocket hit a sports hall and a school near a Revolutionary Guard building and a military facility in Lamerd, southern Iran.
Lamerd is located in the south of Iran.
A residential area was also hit. According to the Times, the bullet hit an oil tanker there and damaged several shops and homes. Pictures on social media show how the surroundings of the buildings hit are covered in speckles – which is probably caused by the tungsten pellets.
The sports hall and attached school as well as the residential area (red) are close to military facilities (blue), which are separated by walls.Image: Google Maps/Watson
Children died in the attack
There were several attacks in the region that day, and the state news agency puts the death toll at 21 in total. In addition, around 100 people are said to have been injured. This information has not been confirmed.
The fact is that the sports hall was damaged after the attack. According to the Times, the roof had also partially collapsed.
A girls’ volleyball team is said to have been in the hall at the time of the attack. Blood can be seen in pictures from inside the hall. Two players – a fourth and a fifth grader – and a sixth-grade soccer player died in the attack, according to an Iranian journalist. According to one Iranian media report a sports teacher also died.
The sports hall was recognizable as a civilian building
According to the New York Times, it is unclear whether the PrSM missile hit civilian buildings intentionally, because of a design or construction flaw, or because of poor aim. The weapon is too new for that.
However, even on Google Maps it is clear that the building is outside the walls of the military compound. It is also described on the map as a gymnasium. And according to the report, this has been the case for years. So the US military must have known about it.
A spokesman for US Central Command confirmed to the Times: “We are aware of reports and are reviewing them. US forces do not attack civilians indiscriminately, unlike the Iranian regime.
On the same day as in Lamerd, a school in Minab was also attacked. 175 people died. The attack is attributed to the USA and a Tomahawk missile is said to have been used. The school was also near a military installation.