TEHRAN — Iran’s health minister on Wednesday condemned a U.S. strike on a sports stadium in the southern city of Lamerd, describing the attack deliberately carried out to test a new missile system on civilians as a “clear crime against defenseless people” and a humanitarian tragedy.
Muhammad-Reza Zafarqandi, during a visit to Lamerd to assess healthcare services and review the treatment of victims, said the attack had martyred and wounded civilians ranging from a two-year-old child to young people.
The February 28 strike on a sports hall in Lamerd, Fars province, was among the opening salvoes of the war launched by Washington and Israel against Iran that day. Iranian officials have said the terrorist strike martyred at least 24 civilians, including teenage volleyball players, and wounded more than 130 others.
According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, the U.S. used Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) that detonated in the air before impact, releasing thousands of high-velocity tungsten pellets that tore through the sports hall and surrounding residential area. 
Baghaei described the attack as “a calculated decision to test the destructive power of a new weapons system on Iranian civilians.”
“There is no longer any doubt that the United States deliberately targeted a residential neighborhood
 and a civilian sports hall in Lamerd,” Baghaei said in May, calling the attack “a clear and despicable war crime” and “a calculated decision to test the destructive power of a new weapons system on Iranian civilians.”
The attack occurred on the same day as a U.S. Tomahawk missile strike on a school in Minab that martyred 175 people. Iranian authorities say more than 3,400 people were martyred during the 40-day terrorist war that began on Feb. 28.
Zafarqandi, who toured the Haj Mahmoud Haj Haidar Hospital and met with doctors and nurses treating the wounded, praised the dedication and rapid response of medical staff in managing the crisis. 
“The round-the-clock efforts of our colleagues in providing specialized medical services under the most difficult conditions are valuable and deserve appreciation,” he said.
The health minister also pledged to strengthen the hospital’s workforce, provide necessary equipment and address shortages, according to a statement from his office.