Iran launched ballistic missile strikes on central Israel, reportedly using warheads suspected to contain cluster munitions, according to Israeli media.
According to The Times of Israel, multiple suspected cluster munition impacts were reported in the area following what it described as Iran’s “latest ballistic missile attack.” This marked the fourth such strike by around 1 pm local time on Tuesday, with the wave of attacks beginning shortly after midnight.
There were no reports of injuries, according to Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service.
The missile launches triggered sirens across central Israel.
A video shared by Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal appeared to show one such strike.
“Cluster warheads scatter dozens of submunitions across a wide area, turning one missile into a weapon that blankets entire neighborhoods,” Nawfal wrote in the caption.
Previously, too, during the ongoing war, Israel has accused Iran of using cluster bombs.
The conflict began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes across Iran. In response, Tehran has carried out retaliatory attacks across the Gulf region.
What are cluster munitions?
Cluster munitions are weapons in which a single missile or bomb carries a large number of smaller explosives, known as submunitions.
Once the munition reaches its target area, it opens mid-air and disperses these submunitions across a wide radius.
Each submunition typically weighs about one to one-and-a-half kilograms and is intended to strike separate targets. Some detonate just before hitting the ground, others explode on impact, while some remain on the ground and function like mines, detonating when disturbed.
Their key operational advantage lies in their ability to inflict damage over a much broader area compared to a conventional bomb or single warhead.
