TEHRAN – Deputy Health Minister for Research and Technology Shahin Akhoundzadeh has said that there is evidence suggesting the use of phosphorus bombing of Lamerd in Fars province on the first day of the joint US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28.
A US missile struck a crowded sports complex in the city of Lamerd where young athletes and local residents had gathered. The blast killed 21 people, including children and teenagers, and left around 100 others with severe injuries.
“There is evidence that the bombs used during the bombing of Lamerd, Fars province, were coated with phosphorus. The Ministry of Health has conducted research on this bombing, and we hope to be able to publish the results of this study in international forums. We intend to highlight the plight of the civilians who were targeted in a bombardment involving phosphorus-laden weapons,” Akhoundzadeh said.
He added that the research showed some victims suffered long-term injuries. “For example, a wound that would normally heal within two weeks may take three or four months to heal. We have also conducted extensive research on the battlefield scenes to prepare the findings for publication.”
The deputy health minister also said similar research had been carried out in Bushehr province, where there was also evidence of phosphorus-coated bombs, although he said the impact was greater in Fars province.
Akhoundzadeh called for the case to be documented internationally so that it would be recognized as a war crime.
Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi traveled to Lamerd earlier this month to inspect local medical facilities and evaluate emergency responses. During his visit, he strongly condemned the US missile strike on the sports stadium, denouncing the military action as a “clear crime against defenseless people and a profound human tragedy.”
Zafarqandi walked through the hospital wards, meeting with doctors, nurses, and medical staff. He praised their dedication and swift action, noting that the medical teams worked around the clock under extremely difficult conditions to save the wounded. He pledged that the Ministry of Health would provide full support to the region, including sending more medical equipment, upgrading healthcare facilities, and increasing the number of doctors and nurses to address staff shortages.
During the visit, local health officials, including Amin Niakan from the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, presented detailed reports on how the hospital managed the crisis and treated the influx of trauma patients.
This tragic event in Lamerd did not happen in isolation. On the same day, another US missile strike targeted an elementary school in the city of Minab, hundreds of miles away. That attack resulted in the deaths of nearly 170 people, mostly young schoolchildren and teachers, creating one of the deadliest single incidents of the conflict.
Iranian officials have repeatedly highlighted these incidents as proof of the severe human cost borne by civilians in the war. The strikes on the sports stadium and the school have drawn widespread condemnation. Officials say the targeting of civilian areas demonstrates a total disregard for human life and international humanitarian laws by the US and Israel.
Under international humanitarian law, if phosphorus-based munitions are used against civilians or in civilian areas in a way that causes indiscriminate harm, excessive civilian casualties, or unnecessary suffering, such use may violate the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution under international humanitarian law. If the weapon is used as an incendiary device against civilian concentrations, it may also fall within the restrictions of Protocol III to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, where applicable. Therefore, if the allegations regarding Lamerd are substantiated, the incident could raise serious legal concerns under international law and may warrant independent investigation and documentation.
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