Amnesty International: Iran’s Use of Cluster Munitions During ‘12-Day War’ Violated International Humanitarian Law
Amnesty International condemns Iran's illegal cluster munition strikes on Israeli cities, warning of long-term civilian risks. The report demands accountability, urging global adherence to the Cluster Munitions Convention amid rising Middle East tensions.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned the Iranian military’s use of cluster munitions during its recent conflict with Israel, calling the strikes a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law” and warning of long-term civilian harm from unexploded submunitions.
In a detailed report, Amnesty International said Iranian forces launched ballistic missiles containing cluster munitions into populated residential areas of Israel during the so-called “12-Day War” last month. The organization’s weapons experts analyzed photographs and videos showing evidence of cluster submunitions impacting urban areas, including Tel Aviv, Beersheba, and Rishon LeZion, between June 19 and 22.
Indiscriminate and Illegal
“Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons that must never be used,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns. “By using such weapons in or near populated residential areas, Iranian forces endangered civilian lives and demonstrated clear disregard for international humanitarian law.”
The report documented how submunitions from Iranian ballistic missiles landed across the Gush Dan metropolitan area around Tel Aviv on June 19. Media reports stated that approximately 20 submunitions fell across an eight-kilometre radius. On June 20, a school and basketball court in Beersheba were also struck, and two days later, a similar attack occurred in Rishon LeZion. No fatalities or injuries were reported in these specific incidents, but Amnesty emphasized that the high dud rate of cluster munitions means unexploded ordnance could still cause future harm—especially to children.
Amnesty also noted that the ballistic missiles used in these attacks were wildly inaccurate, citing previous evidence that Iranian missiles often miss intended targets by over 500 meters, rendering them unsuitable for use in populated areas.
Civilian Lives at Risk
One of the reported impacts occurred in the town of Azor, near Tel Aviv, where a submunition hit the upper floor of a home where a father and son were sleeping. They managed to reach a safe room just before impact, according to Haaretz.
“Civilians, particularly children, are most at risk of injury or death from unexploded submunitions,” Amnesty stated, calling Iran’s use of such weapons “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”
International law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons. The use of such weapons in attacks that kill or injure civilians may constitute a war crime.
Technical Findings and Past Use
Amnesty’s weapons experts identified fin-stabilized submunitions used in the attacks. These weapons bear a strong resemblance to those displayed at Iranian military exhibitions in 2016 and to a submunition that fell in Gorgan, Golestan province, in September 2023 following a failed missile test. At the time, Iran’s Ministry of Defense attributed the explosion to a malfunction during a research trial, denying any link to cluster munitions.
The organization’s report pointed to external similarities between these devices and those used in the June 2025 attacks, raising questions about Iran’s prior development and testing of banned munitions.
Amnesty Calls for Global Accountability
The report reiterated Amnesty International’s call for all countries, including Iran and Israel, to sign and abide by the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which came into force in August 2010. The treaty bans the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions. Neither Iran nor Israel is a party to the convention.
Amnesty also confirmed that it sent formal inquiries to Iranian authorities on July 15 regarding the use of cluster munitions, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
What happened in The “12-Day War”
The “12-Day War” between Iran and Israel resulted in significant civilian casualties on both sides. According to Iran’s Foundation for Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, more than 1,100 people were killed in Iran during the conflict, including at least 132 women and 45 children.
Amnesty also called for an investigation into Israel’s attack on Evin prison in Tehran on June 23, which killed and injured dozens, including a child. The organization said the incident may amount to a war crime.
On the Israeli side, at least 29 civilians—including women and children—were killed in Iranian missile strikes, according to the Israeli Health Ministry. One of the deadliest attacks occurred in the Palestinian town of Tamra on June 14, where a missile killed four members of the same family: three women and one child.
Long-Term Threat
Cluster munitions, by design, scatter submunitions over areas as large as a football field. Many fail to detonate immediately, leaving hazardous remnants that can maim or kill civilians years after conflict has ended.
Amnesty’s findings reaffirmed the urgent need for international accountability and a universal ban on such weapons.
