According to Israeli military sources, Iran has launched ballistic missiles carrying cluster munitions against Israeli land, which is the first time such weapons have been used in a conflict.
One of the most contentious types of contemporary bombs is the cluster weapon. Their capacity to spread dozens of smaller explosives over a large region is what makes them unique. According to Israeli defense authorities, certain Iranian cluster missile warheads have the capacity to discharge up to 80 submunitions in midair, dispersing damaging pieces across a distance of several kilometers.
Military experts caution that the advent of these weapons alters the conflict's dynamics. A cluster warhead can disperse numerous smaller bombs over a wide area in place of a single explosion, putting civilians at greater risk and leaving behind unexploded ordnance that may still be deadly long after hostilities are over.

In addition to the immediate military threat, the question of how Iran acquired this capability is currently at the center of the debate, particularly in a nation where scientists connected to cutting-edge weapons programs have regularly been assassinated. Israeli experts have speculated about potential military technology transfers from China or Russia, suggesting that outside help may have been involved.
Attack Close to Tel Aviv
According to Israeli military officials, during the most recent series of attacks, at least one Iranian ballistic missile carrying cluster munitions hit central Israel.
Israeli reports state that the missile's warhead broke apart at a height of around seven kilometers, or four miles, above the earth.In the town of Azor, which is south of Tel Aviv, one of the bomblets hit a house. According to sources, the impact resulted in structural damage but no casualties.
Other people were hurt by the broader barrage. At least 12 people were hurt when an Iranian ballistic missile carrying cluster munitions landed close to Tel Aviv.
According to reports reported by NBC News, since February 28, Iranian ballistic missile strikes have killed at least 11 Israelis and injured over 1,000 others to varied degrees.
A graphic alerting the public to the risks associated with unexploded submunitions was produced by the Israeli military.Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin informed reporters that Iran had used weaponry intended to cause the greatest amount of damage to civilians.In order to maximize the extent of the damage, the terror regime uses weapons that are widely dispersed and aims to hurt civilians," he stated.
A Change in Pattern
Despite varying launch intensity, Iran's missile campaign has persisted throughout the week. Iran launched at least six missile strikes on Israel on March 3. The previous day, the same quantity of barrages were fired.
Compared to February 28, when Israeli officials reported at least 20 missile barrages in a single day, that is a dramatic decrease.Israeli defense officials claim that the employment of cluster munitions creates a new operational problem notwithstanding their decreased frequency. These weapons spread several explosives over cities, complicating interception and raising the possibility of secondary hazards on the ground.

Since Saturday, Iran is thought to have fired at least five cluster missiles against Israel, all of which were aimed at heavily populated civilian areas, according to defense sources.
On Tuesday, a salvo of two of these missiles was fired in the direction of central Israel. Numerous areas saw damage and injuries as a result of the attacks.
The Operation of Cluster Missile Warheads
One heavy warhead, weighing between 500 and 1,000 kg, is usually carried by a conventional ballistic missile.
The way cluster warheads operate varies.Instead of exploding in a single blast, the missile opens in mid-air and fires tiny bomblets. Each submunition typically contains an explosive charge of up to seven kilograms, which is roughly equivalent to the force of short-range rockets employed by militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
While each individual explosion is smaller, the total destructive footprint can be significantly larger due to the bomblets scattering across a huge region.
According to Israeli defense experts, the warhead of the missile used in the recent attack split at about seven kilometers altitude and distributed its submunitions over an eight-kilometre radius.
Military experts warn that cluster munitions are especially lethal when intercepted in mid-flight.
If a missile completes its course, its bomblets usually detonate upon impact with the earth.These unexploded bomblets can detonate if disturbed, creating long-term dangers to citizens and rescue workers.
The most important long-term risk linked with cluster weapons is unexploded submunitions.
A considerable proportion of bomblets do not detonate when they hit the ground. These unexploded explosives can be active for years, serving as makeshift landmines.
Previous Use Conflict
According to Israeli defense authorities, Iran first employed cluster missiles during the two countries' 12-day battle last June.
During the conflict, three cluster missiles were thought to have been fired against Israel, striking seven different cities. As a result, the current conflict is only the second time such weapons have been used.Israeli military analysts say Iran has produced at least three types of missiles that can carry cluster warheads.

These include the short-range Zolfaghar missile, the longer-range Qadr series, and the bigger Khorramshahr ballistic missile.
The Khorramshahr is regarded as the most powerful of the three systems. Iran claims it has a range of about 2,000 kilometers and can transport up to 80 cluster bomblets.
Iran's Cluster Weapons Capabilities
Iran does not publicly acknowledge its cluster bombs manufacture. However, evidence implies that the country produces such weapons for use with ballistic missiles and rockets.
According to Iranian state-owned media, the Qadr S ballistic missile, which is developed domestically, carries a cluster munition warhead and has a range of approximately 2,000 kilometers.The number and weight of the missile's submunitions have not been made public.
According to Western media sources, Iran's Zolfaghar ballistic missile may be capable of carrying cluster munitions.
In 2015, Iranian authorities unveiled a Fateh missile variant carrying 30 submunitions weighing around 20 pounds each.
Other Iranian missiles could also have been modified for such payloads.
According to The New York Times, the cluster munitions purportedly used in a June 19, 2025 attack on Israel could have been delivered by a Qiam series missile, which is based on the Soviet-era Scud design, or a bigger Khorramshahr missile.
Iran also manufactures unguided missiles in 122mm, 240mm, and 333mm configurations.Imported weapons and stockpiles
According to open-source intelligence from Jane's Information Group, Iran possesses numerous foreign cluster systems, including KMGU dispensers designed to deliver submunitions, PROSAB-250 cluster bombs, and UK-made BL755 cluster bombs.
Iran has never officially declared the number or type of cluster munitions in its inventory.
Cluster weapons have been the topic of great worldwide controversy.
More than 100 countries signed the Cluster Munitions Convention in 2008, which prohibits the use, manufacturing, transfer, and stockpiling of such weapons.
The treaty has been signed by 111 countries as well as 12 other entities.Neither Israel nor Iran signed the deal.
The United States likewise declined to attend the convention.
In 2023, Washington supplied Ukraine with cluster munitions to use against Russian forces, bringing the problem back to world prominence.
Ukraine claims Russian troops deployed cluster weapons during the battle.