Israel accuses Iran of using cluster munitions in ongoing conflict

Israel has accused Iran of using cluster munitions in the ongoing conflict. Israeli military officials say Iran has escalated its missile campaign against Israel by firing a warhead packed with cluster munitions – the first reported use of the controversial weapon in the ongoing war. Israeli news reports quoted the Israeli military as saying the Iranian missile’s warhead split open at an altitude of about 4 miles (7 km) and released around 20 submunitions within a radius of around 5 miles (8 km) over central Israel. 

Media reports from Israel said, one of the small munitions struck a home in the central Israeli town of Azor, causing some damage, but there were no reports of casualties from the bomb. In a briefing,



Israel’s military spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said, the terror regime seeks to harm civilians and even uses weapons with wide dispersal to maximise the scope of the damage.

Cluster bombs are strongly criticised because they spread many small explosives over a wide area, and many do not explode right away, creating long-term dangers for civilians. Israel’s military quickly gave public warnings, including clear alerts about the risk of unexploded bombs.

Iran and Israel declined to join a 2008 international ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster bombs that has been signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities.