Iran Cluster Missiles Scatter 20 Submunitions Each Across Central Israel, Creating Landmine-Like Hazards

Iran has been firing ballistic missiles equipped with cluster bomb warheads at Israel, with each warhead opening on descent and dispersing approximately 20 submunitions — each carrying 2.5 kilograms of explosives — across an 8-kilometer radius. A March 1 strike scattered roughly two dozen fragments across central Israel, while Tuesday strikes hit several central locations, injuring 12 people. The submunitions lack guidance systems and are inherently indiscriminate, threatening far wider areas than conventional warheads. Human rights organizations have long condemned cluster munitions, and the IDF Home Front Command has warned civilians to avoid missile debris, as some submunitions fail to detonate on impact and pose landmine-like hazards.