Iran Uses Cluster Bombs In Missile Strike, Aiming To Maximise Civilian Harm, Says Israel: Why Are They Controversial?

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Israel accused Iran of launching a missile at Tel Aviv armed with cluster munitions – marking the first reported use of such weapons since the conflict between the two countries started seven days ago. According to the Israeli military and its embassy in Washington, the missile scattered small bomblets designed to increase civilian casualties.

According to the Reuters, the embassy said,“Today, the Iranian Armed Forces fired a missile that contained cluster submunitions at a densely populated civilian area in Israel.”

It further explained that cluster bombs are designed to spread over an area to maximise the chances of more casualties during a conflict.“Cluster weapons are designed to disperse over a large area and maximize the chances of a harmful strike,” the email to Reuters mentioned.

“Iran unlawfully fired deliberately at civilian population centers, and seeks to maximize the damage to civilians in them by using wide-dispersal munitions.”

WHY ARE CLUSTER WEAPONS CONTROVERSIAL?

According to Israel, the Iranin missile carrying cluster bombs split open at an altitude of about 7 km and released around 20 submunitions in a radius of around 8 km over central Israel.

While there have been no reports of any casualty so far, the first reported use of cluster bombs are sure to raise some eyebrows in the international community.

Cluster bombs are controversial because they release multiple submunitions over a wide area, often hitting unintended targets.

These bombs don't have any steering. They just fall to the ground and are meant to explode when they hit. While they are designed to cover a wide area, each cluster bomb has a much smaller explosion on its own.

Some fail to detonate on impact, posing deadly risks long after the fighting is over.

The Israeli military has said that many of the cluster bombs have not detonated.

The Israeli military released a graphic as a public warning of the dangers of unexploded ordnance.

“The terror regime seeks to harm civilians and even used weapons with wide dispersal in order to maximize the scope of the damage,” Israel's military spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, told a briefing.

Iran and Israel declined to join a 2008 international ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster bombs that has been signed by 111 countries and 12 other entities.

WILL US ATTACK IRAN?

After multiple efforts to bring Iran to the negotiating table, US President Donald Trump has disclosed whether the United States would launch a direct attack on Iran, despite Tehran's stern warning for Washington to stay out of the conflict.

Donald Trump said he would decide in two weeks whether the US military would be a part of the conflict and Iran given the“substantial chance” for renewed diplomatic negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program.

(With Reuters inputs)

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