Bellingcat Links Suspected U.S. Scatterable Anti‑Tank Mines to Civilian Deaths Near Shiraz

Open-source group Bellingcat reports that images from southern Iran appear to show U.S.-made BLU-91/B scatterable anti-tank mines in the southern suburbs of Shiraz, with Iranian state TV saying several civilians were killed after handling what it called small "explosive packages" dropped from aircraft. CBS News says it has not independently verified the photos, and U.S. Central Command declined comment, but three independent weapons experts told Bellingcat the devices match BLU-91/B mines, which are delivered by the U.S. Gator mine system and are not known to be fielded by any other party in the Iran war. Human Rights Watch adviser Richard Weir explains that while these are anti-vehicle rather than anti-personnel mines, they can be triggered by lighter vehicles and have self-destruct timers that can cause explosions hours or days after dispersal, posing long-term danger to anyone nearby who does not know they are present. The U.S. has not used anti-tank mines in a "meaningful" way since the 1991 Gulf War and has not used anti-personnel mines since 2002, making any renewed use of scatterable mines around populated areas a sharp break from recent practice with serious implications for civilian harm and U.S. compliance with evolving norms on landmines. The suspected strike adds another layer of risk for residents on the ground and raises fresh questions, already surfacing in online debate, about escalation and adherence to international humanitarian law in the U.S. campaign against Iran.