What are cluster bombs, reportedly fired by Iran on Israel

Jun 20, 2025 09:21 AM IST

Cluster bombs, that Israel claims were used by Iran, are a deadly threat to the civilian population as these bombs may remain unexploded long after the war.

Israel on Thursday claimed that Iran fired at least one missile that scattered small bombs with the aim of increasing civilian casualties. This is the first reported use of cluster munitions in the seven-day-old war.

Israel and Iran have been relentlessly firing at each other for the last 7 days.(AP)

What are cluster bombs

Cluster bombs are part of cluster munitions that consists of a hollow shell that is dropped from the air or fired from the ground. It breaks open in mid-air and releases smaller bombs, or submunitions, that can number in the hundreds and reach areas as wide as several football fields. Cluster munition scatter smaller bombs in large areas, some of which may not explode, posing deadly risks to civilians long after the fighting ends. As some of the cluster bomb may remain unexploded, they can kill or maim civilians and unintended targets long after a conflict has ended, and are costly to locate and remove.

When were they first used

According to the International Committee of Red Cross, cluster munitions were first used in World War II and a large amount of stockpiled cluster munitions were designed during the cold war. Their main purpose was to destroy multiple military targets dispersed over a wide area, such as tanks or to kill or injure soldiers.

These cluster bombs are not precise in their target and their precision can be affected by weather and other environmental factors. They may therefore hit areas outside the military objective targeted.

In 2008, Convention on Cluster Munitions was established to prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. It also required members to destroy existing stockpiles of cluster munitions. Signed by 123 nations, it came into effect in 2010. However some countries including Russia, Ukraine, and the United States did not sign the convention.

Earlier in March, Russia attacked Ukraine’s eastern region Dobropillia with cluster bombs that targeted the centre of the town and killed 11 people, wounding 40 others.

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