Iran’s cluster submunitions tests Israel’s air defenses
Iran is increasingly arming ballistic missiles with cluster submunitions to saturate and bypass Israel’s air defenses, dispersing bomblets at high altitude over wide areas. Some missiles can carry dozens to dozens of bomblets, leading to civilian hits even when the main missile is intercepted. Experts say high-altitude dispersal complicates interceptions and can exhaust Israel’s interceptors, potentially serving a strategy of attrition and psychological pressure. Amnesty International has criticized cluster munitions as a violation of international humanitarian law, and Israel urges shelters and caution over unexploded bomblets. CNN verified multiple March attacks across seven to eight miles of territory, with casualties and damage, while Iran has not commented.
