Israel says Iran is using cluster munitions. What to know about the weapons

The Associated Press published an article detailing Iran’s use of ballistic missiles equipped with submunitions for strikes on Israel during the 2026 Iran War. The piece highlights how cluster munitions work and the dangers they pose to civilian populations during strikes and long after due to often high dud rates.

In the article, the AP cited the OSMP as a source which “authenticates publicly sourced images of munitions worldwide” and highlighted recent publication on the site of images from Israel showing unexploded Iranian submunitions. The submunitions deployed by Iranian medium-range ballistic missiles are released at high altitude during the missile’s terminal phase of descent, scattering bomblets across a large area. The OSMP’s documentation of Israel’s alleged use of submunitions inside Lebanon in 2025 was also noted.