Speaking to reporters upon his arrival at Lamerd Martyrs Airport on Saturday, Esmaeil Baghaei said, “Lamerd is a symbol for us Iranians today, a symbol of the resistance, resilience and strength of the people in the face of Iran’s most hostile enemies.”
“I have come to thank and appreciate the people of Lamerd and to meet with the respected families of the martyrs, as well as veterans who we know are facing difficult circumstances but have stood resilient and strong against the enemies,” he added.
On February 28, the very first day that the US and Israel started an unprovoked war against Iran, Washington carried out a strike on a crowded sports facility in Lamerd, using a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), killing 21 young people who were inside the venue at the time and injuring another 100.
The attack occurred the same day as a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck a school in the city of Minab, several hundred miles away, killing 175 people.
After watching a documentary about the war in Lamerd, Baghaei described the incident as a crime against all of Iran and humanity.
“This crime was not only against the people of Lamerd; it was against the whole of Iran and all of humanity,” he said.
Baghaei also thanked the journalists present, saying their participation was aimed at documenting the magnitude of a major crime, particularly the deliberate targeting of civilians, including children and teenagers who were playing.
Referring to the reported selection of Lamerd for the testing of a cluster weapon on the first day of the aggression against Iran, Baghaei described the choice as significant, saying “This choice makes the severity of the crime even greater.”
He stressed the collective responsibility to highlight the depth of what happened, adding that Lamerd would certainly not be the first or last such crime and that efforts should be made to seek justice.
MNA