Amnesty Accuses Iran of Cluster Bomb Strikes on Israel

Amnesty International has accused Iran of firing widely banned cluster munitions at Israel during their June conflict, highlighting serious risks posed to civilians. Iranian forces launched ballistic missiles containing submunitions into populated areas such as the Gush Dan metropolitan area near Tel Aviv, Beersheba, and Rishon LeZion, causing material damage and scattering unexploded bomblets. These inherently indiscriminate weapons endanger civilians, especially children, as unexploded submunitions can remain lethal long after attacks, constituting a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. Although neither Iran nor Israel is a party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans such weapons, Amnesty emphasized that international law prohibits attacks that do not distinguish between military targets and civilians, qualifying such actions as potential war crimes. The conflict, which began with Israeli air strikes aimed at halting Iran's nuclear ambitions, resulted in significant casualties and a ceasefire by late June. Amnesty and international voices have called on Iran and Israel to adhere to humanitarian norms and urged renewed nuclear negotiations to prevent further escalation.