Iranian missile with "cluster bomb warhead" targets central Israel

Tel Aviv [Israel], March 18 : An Iranian ballistic missile targeting central Israel appears to have been equipped with a cluster bomb warhead, according to footage reviewed by the Times of Israel.
Cluster bomb warheads indiscriminately spread dozens of sub munitions, each with several kilograms of explosives, over a radius of around 10 kilometres. Use of the munitions is banned under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, whose signatories do not include Israel, Iran or the US.
The use of such weaponry has resulted in several impact sites across the central region. While emergency services are actively responding to these reports, medics have confirmed that there have been no calls regarding injuries at this stage.
Direct damage to infrastructure has been observed, with the Times of Israel reporting that at least one submunition from the missile struck and damaged a road.
Local police are currently on the scene at multiple locations to secure the areas affected by the debris and munitions. Despite the visible damage to property, medical teams reiterate that no casualties have been reported following the strikes.
According to the Times of Israel, the latest aerial assault marks a concerning development in the type of ordnance being deployed. Authorities remain on-site to assess the full extent of the impact and ensure public safety.
However, the situation has turned fatal in other parts of the region, where two people were killed in a ballistic missile attack in central Israel due to an Iranian strike, according to Magen David Adom (MDA), CNN reported.
Paramedics from the MDA arrived at the scene in the city of Ramat Gan and declared the death of a man and a woman who suffered severe shrapnel injuries.
The reach of the strike further extended to the city of Bnei Brak, just north of Tel Aviv, where shrapnel from the missile lightly injured one person, CNN reported, quoting the MDA.
In response to these casualties, Israel's Home Front Command emphasised the importance of following all alerts and guidelines, which have proven lifesaving during ongoing hostilities. Regular and reserve rescue and salvage forces have rushed to impact sites in the centre of the country to scan for survivors and assist the population.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) wrote on X that Home Front Command forces are currently operating at these scenes. Following a situation assessment, authorities later advised that it is now permitted to exit protected spaces, though they urged continued vigilance and the avoidance of gatherings in affected areas.
Parallel to these defensive efforts, the IDF has carried out a series of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers and operatives across Lebanon as part of its ongoing Operation "Roaring Lion."
The military stated that the Air Force struck launchers and terrorists to disrupt and thwart fire toward Israeli territory.
Since the start of Operation "Roaring Lion," the IDF has struck hundreds of Hezbollah rocket launchers across Lebanon to remove threats to the citizens of the State of Israel.
The regional conflict is being further shaped by American intervention. The Department of War shared on X that they are executing President Trump's orders with speed and precision, claiming "Operation Epic Fury" has decimated Iran's military.
US Navy Admiral and Commander Brad Cooper confirmed that US forces remain centred on military objectives, including eliminating Iran's ballistic missiles, drones, and naval threats. To date, American aviators have collectively flown more than 6,000 combat flights to maintain air superiority over Iranian skies.
As part of this campaign, the United States carried out strikes using "multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions" on hardened Iranian missile sites along the coastline near the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command stated on X that these Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles posed a direct risk to international shipping in the strait, prompting the successful employment of the 2267 kg munitions to neutralise the threat.