Baqaei made the remarks on Saturday afternoon during a press conference in Lamerd, attended by journalists and reporters from Iranian and foreign media outlets.
The press conference was part of Baqaei’s daylong trip to Lamerd, a city in Fars Province that was struck on February 28, the first day of the second US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran in less than a year. Missile strikes hit several residential areas in Lamerd that afternoon, including a sports complex, leaving scores of casualties, among them children.
“Twenty-one people were martyred at four locations on February 28, 2026, and around 180 others were injured and are still struggling with health problems,” the spokesperson said.
“There is no doubt that the US crime constitutes a war crime. Investigations have shown that prohibited weapons were used, including cluster munitions, each containing 180,000 pellets. All the sites hit were residential and civilian areas,” he further said, adding that another investigation by Iran’s Health Ministry also revealed that chemical agents were used in the munitions to make them deadlier.
“Four missiles struck the 30,000-strong city of Lamerd within 35 seconds, leaving the city in mourning. We will seriously pursue justice and make every effort to shed light on this crime, so that the international community will join us in seeking justice for the martyrs of Lamerd,” said Baqaei, who was joined by two teenage boys injured in the US attack.
He also named Aveena, a two-year-old girl who lost her life in the attack.
“Aveena was a symbol of the innocence of the Iranian people in the face of aggression by the US and the Zionist regime. The pellets pierced her body so deeply that they tore her apart,” he said.
“The world must realize that if it remains indifferent towards a crime and injustice, this will not be the last kind of this crime,” he said when asked what message Iran was sending to the world regarding the crime in Lamerd.
“We, as humans, bear responsibility toward each other’s pain and suffering. The crime in Lamerd was not committed against a specific group of humans; it was against humanity,” he emphasized, noting that the US intentionally carried out the attack in Lamerd to test a new weapon of mass destruction.
Baqaei’s press conference also covered other key topics, including security in West Asia and the need for regional countries to cooperate to protect and promote that security amid warmongering by the Israeli regime and the United States.
Iranian nation survives despite animosity
Later on Saturday, the spokesperson joined people in Lamerd at their nightly gathering in support of the government in the face of US aggression. Saturday marked the 196th night of nationwide gatherings in Iran since the US and Israel launched their war in late February.
Addressing the gathering, Baqaei praised the resilience of the people of Lamerd and paid tribute to the martyrs of the US-Israeli attacks there.
He also said that the people of Iran have no choice but to resist their enemy, expressing confidence that the nation will survive as all groups make efforts to protect national interests.
“We are facing an enemy that has shown no restraint and stopped at nothing. In the face of such an enemy, what choice do we have but to resist and stand firm? We must resist on all fronts; diplomacy and the field must work together to safeguard the national interests and dignity of Iranians,” he said, adding: “The secret to Iran’s resilience and survival is that we will impose our will on the enemy.”
Baqaei also said the Foreign Ministry, as the body in charge of implementing diplomacy, needs the support of other groups.
“Diplomacy is a tool for protecting national interests and security, and it succeeds when it has the support of the people, the street, and the field,” he concluded.
