Israeli Military Investigates Iranian Cluster Missile After Tel Aviv Strike
Israel probes if Iran used cluster warheads in Tel Aviv missile strike. 271 wounded as attacks escalate; 224 dead in Iran from Israeli strikes.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Israeli army is investigating whether a new type of Iranian missile used in Thursday's unprecedented barrage on central Israel contained a cluster warhead, after a projectile fragmented into multiple lethal submunitions upon impact near Tel Aviv.
According to Israel’s Army Radio, one of the missiles fired by Iran early Thursday morning and which landed in the Gush Dan area – the wider Tel Aviv region – appeared to consist of several smaller warheads that exploded across separate locations.
Two unnamed security officials told the broadcaster that the Israeli military is examining whether the missile was equipped with a cluster payload, which disperses into multiple smaller munitions upon detonation. Specialized bomb disposal units have been deployed to the impact zones to investigate and confirm the nature of the weapon.
Hundreds Injured in Iran’s Missile Assault
Israeli medical sources confirmed that 271 people were wounded in the Iranian missile attack, including four who sustained critical injuries. The salvo, launched amid a sustained exchange of fire between Iran and Israel since last Friday, marks the heaviest Iranian missile assault since the escalation began.
On Thursday morning, Iran launched dozens of missiles targeting central and southern Israel, in what officials have described as a major escalation. Israeli retaliatory strikes on Iranian territory, ongoing since June 13, have reportedly killed at least 224 people, according to official figures. In Israel, government sources reported that 25 people have been killed by Iranian missiles and drones.
From Shadow War to Open Confrontation
In recent weeks, the long-standing covert conflict between Iran and Israel has transformed into a dangerous, near-direct military confrontation. What was once characterized by cyberattacks, targeted assassinations, and limited aerial operations has evolved into open warfare since June 13, resulting in hundreds of casualties on both sides.
Israel has long regarded Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat and continues to pursue measures—ranging from economic sanctions to covert military operations—to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
