Why Iran’s Cluster Bomb Attacks On Israel Are A Major Escalation

Iran has launched more than 400 ballistic missiles indiscriminately at Israel in the last week, targeting civilian populations — and late this week it stepped its attacks up by using a cluster bomb in an attack on a hospital, according to the Israeli military.

Cluster bombs are widely condemned due to the fact that they’re impossible to target. “Cluster munitions have warheads that burst and scatter numerous bomblets, and are known for causing indiscriminate harm to civilians,” The New York Times has noted.

The evidence that Iran used cluster bombs is overwhelming.

“Iran likely targeted Beersheba with a cluster bomb in its latest attack on Israel, footage shows,” Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel fabian reported on X. “Videos and photos from the southern city show several impacts of small munitions at multiple locations in the city, indicating that a ballistic missile carrying a cluster bomb warhead was used in the attack. One of the small munitions hit a daycare. No injuries were reported in Beersheba. Yesterday, the IDF Home Front Command confirmed that Iran launched at least one ballistic missile carrying a cluster bomb warhead at central Israel. It said the missile’s warhead opened up while descending, at around 7 kilometers altitude, spreading around 20 smaller munitions with around 2.5 kilograms of explosives, in a radius of around 8km.”

Iran likely targeted Beersheba with a cluster bomb in its latest attack on Israel, footage shows.

Videos and photos from the southern city show several impacts of small munitions at multiple locations in the city, indicating that a ballistic missile carrying a cluster bomb… pic.twitter.com/yPQqSXhbt8

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 20, 2025

Meanwhile, on Friday, Iran launched ballistic missiles again, targeting Haifa, one of Israel’s largest cities.  “The Iranian regime has just launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Haifa—a city where Jews and Arabs live side by side in peace. One missile struck next to a mosque. The Iranian regime is firing indiscriminately at civilians—with zero regard for who they hit,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry reported.

🔴 BREAKING: The Iranian regime has just launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Haifa—a city where Jews and Arabs live side by side in peace.

One missile struck next to a mosque.

The Iranian regime is firing indiscriminately at civilians—with zero regard for who they hit. pic.twitter.com/Vs1whWPjMg

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 20, 2025

“The Iranian regime launched a missile attack on Haifa and struck the Al-Jarina Mosque in the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood. The missile attack injured Muslim clerics who were in the mosque. The Iranian regime is targeting Muslim, Christian, and Jewish civilians, as well as civilian sites. These are war crimes,” Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Saar posted on X.

The Iranian regime launched a missile attack on Haifa and struck the Al-Jarina Mosque in the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood. The missile attack injured Muslim clerics who were in the mosque.
The Iranian regime is targeting Muslim, Christian, and Jewish civilians, as well as civilian… pic.twitter.com/aG9JRfyLP7

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 20, 2025

Though anti-Israel commentators have noted that Israel has also targeted hospitals in its war against Hamas, there is no evidence that Israel has any military housed in hospitals. Hamas routinely uses hospitals as command centers, a fact admitted by a Hamas terrorist interrogated by Israel in December 2023.