Israel’s air defense strategy is being tested by a new and complex threat, as Iran increasingly deploys ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions, forcing Israeli commanders to make difficult, real-time decisions about when to intercept and when to hold fire.

Military officials said Thursday that while Israel maintains a roughly 90 percent interception rate for missiles heading toward populated areas, the nature of cluster warheads presents a unique challenge. Unlike conventional missiles, which carry a single large explosive payload, cluster warheads disperse dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area, sometimes spanning up to six miles.

Once released, those submunitions fall unguided, making them harder and more resource-intensive to intercept. Officials said that in some cases, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has opted not to engage every bomblet, particularly when civilians are believed to be in shelters and the risk of severe harm is lower.

The decision is driven in part by operational constraints, including the need to conserve short-range interceptor systems such as Iron Dome, which would otherwise be required to target each individual munition after a warhead disperses.

Since the war began on Feb. 28, Iran has launched more than 350 ballistic missiles at Israel. According to the IDF, roughly half initially carried cluster warheads, a figure that appears to have increased in recent days.

The shift has had major consequences. At least nine deaths have been attributed to cluster munitions, including an elderly couple killed when a bomblet struck their home in Ramat Gan. Additional fatalities and injuries have been reported in central Israel and the West Bank, largely involving individuals who were not inside protected shelters at the time of impact.

Israeli officials emphasize that the smaller explosives carried by cluster munitions are unlikely to penetrate fortified safe rooms, and that adherence to sheltering guidelines significantly reduces risk. Still, unexploded submunitions remain a lingering hazard, capable of detonating upon later contact.

Human rights groups have long criticized the use of cluster weapons, citing their indiscriminate spread and the danger posed to civilians even after initial strikes.

Officials estimate that a significant portion of Iran’s air defense network and missile launch capacity has been destroyed, though Tehran retains the ability to continue launching missiles at a reduced but steady pace.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)