Israel Accuses Iran of Repeatedly Using Cluster Bombs: A War Crime

Israel’s military has accused Iran of launching cluster bombs during the war. The use of cluster munitions has been carried out by Iran on multiple occasions, according to Israel. ‘They (Iran) are using cluster munitions,’ said Israel’s military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani at a press conference reported by AFP on Friday (6 March 2026). ‘They have used them repeatedly, which is a war crime when directed at civilians and we are monitoring the situation,’ Shoshani added. Neither Iran nor Israel are among more than one hundred countries that are party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. The convention prohibits the use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster bombs. AFP footage from Thursday night (5 March) shows a cluster of burning projectiles falling in the sky over Israel. Police in Israel did not comment, but a military analyst who reviewed the footage for AFP identified it as part of a cluster bomb. The Israeli police on Wednesday (4 March) said bomb disposal experts found evidence of cluster munitions after a missile coming from Iran was detected. Today, police also released a public service announcement in which one of their bomb disposal technicians explains the dangers of cluster munitions. ‘During this war the front lines face a range of threats, including missiles, UAVs (drones), or rockets. I will speak to you about the threat that is slightly less well known but no less dangerous: the threat of cluster munitions,’ the technician said in the video. During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, Amnesty International reported the use of cluster munitions widely banned by the Islamic Republic. The organisation analysed photos and videos showing cluster munitions that, according to media reports, hit the Gush Dan metropolitan area around Tel Aviv on 19 June. Beersheva on 20 June 2025 and Rishon LeZion in the south of Tel Aviv on 22 June 2025 were also ‘hit by munitions that left numerous impact craters consistent with small munitions seen in Gush Dan,’ Amnesty said. Cluster munitions explode in the air and disperse submunitions. Some may not explode on impact and can cause casualties over time, particularly among children.