Iran Launches Ballistic Missiles with Cluster Warheads at Tel Aviv Amid Escalating Conflict
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed that Iran fired ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions toward densely populated areas in Tel Aviv and central Israel, heightening civilian risks in the ongoing war that began on February 28.
Military sources identified the missiles as likely the Khorramshahr-4 (also known as Kheibar or Kheibar Shekan variants), advanced weapons designed to release their payload mid-flight at around 7 kilometers altitude. Each warhead disperses approximately 20 submunitions, scattering small explosives over a wide area of several kilometers. This tactic significantly amplifies danger in urban settings, where unexploded bomblets can function like landmines and pose long-term threats.
Israeli air defense systems, including Iron Dome and Arrow, intercepted most incoming projectiles. However, submunitions from at least one penetrated strike reached the ground, wounding at least 12 people in central Israel. Reports indicate significant material damage, including large fires at three locations in commercial and residential districts of Tel Aviv.
Authorities issued urgent public warnings urging residents to avoid approaching any missile debris or suspected unexploded ordnance. The indiscriminate spread of these weapons has drawn international concern over civilian safety.
The attacks form part of Iran’s retaliatory barrages by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), following Israeli and U.S. military operations targeting Iranian facilities. Officials noted a shift toward tactics aimed at maximizing psychological and societal disruption in Israel’s most populated regions. Despite the intensity, the overall volume of Iranian ballistic missile fire has declined in recent days, attributed to Israeli airstrikes degrading launch capabilities and infrastructure.
As the conflict enters its second week, Israeli military assessments suggest that combined U.S.-Israeli efforts have destroyed hundreds of Iranian missile launchers, limiting Tehran’s ability to sustain large-scale barrages. However, threats to high-rise areas and urban centers persist, with authorities maintaining heightened alerts.
The use of cluster munitions in populated zones has raised alarms about potential violations of international norms, though neither Iran nor Israel is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The situation remains fluid, with both sides continuing exchanges amid efforts to degrade each other’s capabilities.
