TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — In recent escalations of their ongoing conflict, Israel has accused Iran of employing cluster munitions. This tactic presents a complex and deadly challenge for Israel's air defense systems. The bombs, designed to burst open at high altitudes, disperse numerous smaller bomblets across extensive areas, making them notoriously difficult to intercept and severely lethal. These bomb payloads reportedly result in indiscriminate casualties, which adds to the urgency of the situation.
Israeli authorities, typically reticent about discussing Iranian attacks, have recently encouraged public awareness regarding the dangers posed by these munitions. Unexploded ordnance can lay dormant on the ground, presenting ongoing risks even after civilians have returned to the surface. Reports indicate that at least three individuals have been killed, including two workers at a construction site in central Israel on March 5, 2026.
Although over 120 nations have ratified an international convention banning cluster munitions, Israel, the United States, and Iran have not signed this treaty. The use of these weapons has been documented for several decades in various global conflicts, including by Israel during its 2006 conflict with Hezbollah, a militant group allied with Iran.
Cluster munitions are designed to release submunitions, or bomblets, typically from altitudes between 7 to 10 kilometers (4 to 6 miles). This release scatters the landmines across expansive areas, reaching distances from several hundred meters to several kilometers. Critics highlight that these munitions cause widespread civilian harm, especially since many bomblets may remain unexploded and act as future landmines.
Yehoshua Kalisky, a lead researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, emphasized that cluster bombs primarily inflict human casualties rather than structural damage. According to unconfirmed Israeli military reports, approximately 50% of Iranian projectiles being fired toward Israel are cluster munitions. While Israel’s Arrow missile defense system successfully intercepts many ballistic missiles, it is less effective once bomblets have been dispersed.
Israel’s Iron Dome defense is aimed at intercepting smaller rockets, but is ill-equipped to deal with the wide spread of bomblets post-dispersion. The lightweight nature of these submunitions, often weighing under 3 kilograms (7 pounds), makes them particularly dangerous to civilians out in the open. The Convention on Cluster Munitions notes that these weapons significantly threaten civilian populations during and after their deployment, with children often being disproportionately affected.
The Iranian military heavily relies on cluster munitions, reportedly launching them on an almost daily basis. The Israeli military revealed that Iranian warheads can carry between 20 and 24 bomblets, each equipped with explosives weighing up to 5 kilograms (11 pounds). In light of the danger, the Israeli military's Home Front Command has distributed public warnings urging residents to avoid tampering with unexploded munitions and to contact authorities instead.
In 2017, Iran disclosed that its Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile could carry multiple warheads, representing the center of its submunition-dispersing capabilities. Videos from Iranian military exercises indicate that some of these missiles are designed to disperse their payloads at high altitudes, which broadens their area of impact compared to more targeted munitions.
While technically not illegal, cluster munitions are heavily restricted by the Geneva Conventions and recent international treaties. Historically, these munitions were first utilized by Nazi Germany in World War II, and have since been employed by the U.S. in multiple conflicts like Vietnam and Iraq. Notably, Israel is not currently utilizing cluster bombs, according to anonymous military sources.
Recent reports suggest that the ongoing conflict is driven by Iran's frequent use of these indiscriminate weapon systems, challenging both military tactics and humanitarian principles in the region.
