Israel Condemns Iran’s Alleged Cluster Munition Missile Strike on Tel Aviv, Escalating Tensions with Controversial Weaponry
Photo credit - Mint
Israel has accused Iran of firing a missile equipped with cluster munitions at Tel Aviv, marking the first reported use of such weapons in the ongoing seven-day conflict between the two nations. According to the Israeli military and its embassy in Washington, the missile released small bomblets intended to increase civilian casualties. The embassy stated to Reuters that Iran deliberately targeted a densely populated civilian area with a missile containing cluster submunitions, designed to scatter over a wide area to maximize harm.
Cluster munitions are highly controversial due to their ability to release multiple smaller explosives over a large area, often striking unintended targets. These unguided bomblets are meant to detonate on impact but can fail to explode, leaving behind hazardous unexploded ordnance that poses long-term risks to civilians.
Israel reported that the Iranian missile dispersed approximately 20 submunitions over an 8 km radius after splitting open at an altitude of about 7 km. While no casualties have been reported, the Israeli military noted that many of these bomblets did not detonate and issued a public warning about the dangers of unexploded ordnance. Brigadier General Effie Defrin, an Israeli military spokesperson, condemned Iran’s use of such weapons, accusing the regime of seeking to maximize civilian harm.
Neither Iran nor Israel is a signatory to the 2008 international treaty banning the production, stockpiling, transfer, and use of cluster munitions, which has been endorsed by 111 countries and 12 other entities.
Regarding potential U.S. involvement, President Donald Trump has stated he will decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military will join the conflict, citing a “substantial chance” for renewed diplomatic talks over Iran’s nuclear program. This follows repeated unsuccessful attempts to engage Iran in negotiations, amid Tehran’s warnings for the U.S. to avoid direct intervention.