Key Points – The Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., confirmed that Iran used a missile armed with a cluster munition warhead in its retaliatory strikes on Thursday, June 19th, marking the first confirmed use of the controversial weapon in the week-long conflict.
-Cluster munitions, which scatter multiple smaller bomblets over a wide area, are banned by over 120 nations due to their indiscriminate nature and the long-term danger posed by unexploded ordnance.
-While neither Israel nor Iran is a signatory to the 2008 convention banning them, Israel condemned the attack as an unlawful and deliberate targeting of civilian population centers.
Iran’s Cluster Bomb Explained
The Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., confirmed this week that Iran launched a missile containing submunitions at Israel on Thursday, marking the first confirmed use of a cluster bomb in the week-long conflict.
In an email to Reuters, the embassy said that the Iranian Armed Forces “fired a missile that contained submunitions at a densely populated civilian area in Israel,” adding that the weapon was “unlawfully fired deliberately at civilian population centers.”
What Are Cluster Munitions?
Cluster munitions are a type of explosive weapon designed to release multiple smaller bomblets, also known as submunitions, over a wide area. Unlike conventional missiles that strike a single target, cluster bombs scatter dozens or even hundreds of submunitions, making them particularly effective against dispersed infantry or vehicle convoys.
When used outside of battlefields, however, they can cause widespread damage to civilian infrastructure – and even the forces deploying the weapon may not know where the submunitions will land.
The exact kind of Iranian missile that carried the munitions has not yet been confirmed. Iranian media circulated footage of the Khorramshahr-4 “Kheibar” medium-range ballistic missile being launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) this week, which fuelled some speculation that the missile may have been used to launch the cluster bomb attack.
However, the footage that appeared online is believed to have been recorded during a 2023 test.
The Damage So Far
According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command, the warhead on the missile fired at Israel opened at roughly 23,000 feet, releasing roughly 20 submunitions. Each of these smaller munitions contained 5.5 lbs of explosives. The single missile launch resulted in damage stretched across roughly 10 miles of Israeli territory.
In this instance, submunitions were not individually propelled and instead fell to the ground in random directions.
While the explosions caused by smaller munitions are smaller than the impact of a regular missile strike, they make it harder to intercept strikes and cause more widespread damage.
The use of these weapons, therefore, suggests that the Iranian military is opting not just to target crucial Israeli infrastructure or military targets, but to indiscriminately bomb the country in a way that maximizes fear and danger to civilians.
The Israeli army has warned the public not to approach missile remains on the ground, warning that submunitions may still explode.
The United Nations estimates that up to 40% of cluster bomblets can remain unexploded after a strike, often creating hazardous zones for years.
Is It Legal?
Cluster munitions are widely considered illegal under international humanitarian law due to their indiscriminate nature and the long-term threat they cause to civilians.
The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions bans their use, production, transfer, and stockpiling. While the convention was ratified by 120 nations, neither Israel nor Iran is among them.
Although neither country is a signatory to the treaty, their use of cluster weapons is still constrained by rules established in the Article 51 of the Geneva Convention, which states civilians must not be the object of a military attack.
The rule prohibits attacks that fail to distinguish between civilian populations and military targets, or that cause excessive civilian harm relative to the anticipated military advantage.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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