Iran Reportedly Uses Cluster Munitions in Attack on Tel Aviv

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Iran reportedly used cluster munitions during a recent missile attack on Tel Aviv, part of a new offensive targeting central Israel, according to a report by Anadolu Agency on Thursday night.

Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that shrapnel from the cluster munitions fell across the city and surrounding areas. The television station also reported a large fire and significant material damage following the strike.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that fires and heavy damage were recorded at at least three locations in and around Tel Aviv.

Cluster munitions release dozens of smaller explosive devices, or submunitions, over a wide area and are designed to strike both personnel and vehicles.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), cited by The Times of India, the missile’s warhead opens as it descends and disperses about 20 smaller explosives, each containing roughly 2.5 kilograms of explosives and capable of spreading across a radius of about eight kilometres.

Attacks Across Gulf States

Iran has launched missiles and drones toward Israel and several Gulf countries hosting US military assets since February 28. Some of the attacks have caused casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, including ports and residential buildings.

Tehran said the strikes were carried out in retaliation for the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which has killed more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior Iranian military officials, and more than 160 schoolchildren under the age of 12, according to Iranian government media.

Countries across the Gulf region remain on high alert as Iran continues multiple waves of missile and drone attacks, according to Al Jazeera.

Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries targeted on Thursday night. Kuwait’s military general staff said in a social media post that its air defence systems intercepted projectiles in its airspace.

Earlier the same day, the Defence Ministry of Qatar said the country had been targeted by several attacks, including 14 ballistic missiles and four drones launched from Iran.

Iran initially targeted US military installations in the Gulf but later expanded its strikes to include civilian facilities after the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28. The conflict has resulted in at least 1,230 casualties so far, according to Iranian government figures.

Iranian attacks, increasingly targeting energy infrastructure, have also killed at least six US military personnel, as well as 11 people in Israel and three in the United Arab Emirates.

Global energy markets have reacted sharply to the escalating conflict. Oil and gas prices have surged as tankers remain stranded near the Strait of Hormuz amid attacks on vessels passing through one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. About 20 percent of the world’s crude oil supply passes through the strait.

Read: Prabowo, Pakistan PM Discuss Iran Visit to Curb Tensions

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