New Delhi: In what could escalate the ongoing tension between two countries, Iran on Thursday fired a missile at Israel that was allegedly laden with cluster bombs. This is the first reported use of the cluster munition in the ongoing war that entered eighth day today. While no causalities were reported in the attack, a cluster bomb causes serious harm to civilians.
The Israeli military and its Washington embassy said that Iran launched the missile that scattered small bombs with an aim to cause more civilian casualties. According to reports, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that the missile’s warhead split open at an altitude of about 4 miles (7 km) and released around 20 submunitions. The small munitions targeted central Israel within a radius of eight kilometers. It did not provide further details.
“Today, the Iranian Armed Forces fired a missile that contained cluster submunitions at a densely populated civilian area in Israel,” the embassy said in an email to Reuters without mentioning the area.
“Iran unlawfully fired deliberately at civilian population centers, and seeks to maximize the damage to civilians in them by using wide-dispersal munitions,” it added.
One of the submunitions from the Iranian projectiles hit a home in the central Israeli town of Azor, causing some damage, Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian reported.
The Israeli Home Front Command later issued a public safety advisory through X (formerly Twitter), warning residents to be alert. It said, “This morning we experienced a missile strike capable of dispersing small munitions over a relatively wide area. It is possible that some of the munitions will remain on the ground and not explode. Do not touch any fallen objects or suspicious objects. Immediately call 100.”
הבוקר חווינו פגיעה של טיל בעל יכולת פיזור של חימושים קטנים המתפזרים בשטח רחב יחסית.
יתכן שחלק מהחימושים יישארו על הקרקע ולא יתפוצצו.
לא נוגעים בנפלים או בחפץ חשוד, מיד מתקשרים 100. pic.twitter.com/5zzBW72Oww
— פיקוד העורף (@PikudHaoref1) June 19, 2025
What are cluster bombs?
Cluster bombs have warheads that indiscriminately burst and scatter submunitions or bomblets, some of which can fail to explode and kill or injure long after a conflict ends.
These munitions cause huge destruction and are designed to disperse over a large area and maximize the chances of a harmful strike. Some of these munition fail to explode after landing and remain active, posing danger to civilians who unknowingly come in contact with them.
Over 100 countries have prohibited them under a 2008 agreement. However, Iran and Israel have not imposed a ban on its use, nor have major powers like, the US, China, India and Russia.
