Iran has launched missiles carrying cluster-type warheads at Tel Aviv, in what it described as retaliation for the killing of senior official Ali Larijani, marking a further escalation in the ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States. Iranian state media reported that the overnight strikes killed at least two people, bringing the total number of fatalities in Israel since the war began to at least 14.

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According to a statement from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the attack involved Khorramshahr-4 and Qadr missiles, both capable of deploying multiple warheads over a wide area. Israeli officials have previously accused Iran of using such munitions, which disperse smaller explosives mid-air and are difficult to intercept.

Retaliation following high-profile killing

The strikes came days after Iran confirmed the death of Larijani, who had been a central figure in national security decision-making. He was killed in an Israeli strike, alongside his son and deputy, Alireza Bayat.

The killing followed the earlier death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, further destabilising the country’s leadership during wartime.

Nuclear concerns and calls for restraint

In a separate development, Iran reported that a projectile struck near the Bushehr nuclear power plant but caused no damage or injuries. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, urged all sides to exercise maximum restraint to avoid the risk of a nuclear incident.

The United States and Israel have said that curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions is a central objective of their military campaign, which began in late February.

Hardening positions on both sides

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly rejected proposals to reduce tensions or agree to a ceasefire. According to officials, he said it was not the right time for peace and insisted that Iran would continue its resistance until its adversaries accepted defeat.

The conflict has already caused heavy casualties across the region. A U.S.-based monitoring group estimates that more than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran since the fighting began, while Israeli strikes have also caused significant loss of life in Lebanon.

Global impact and economic pressure

The war continues to disrupt global energy supplies, with the Strait of Hormuz—a key route for oil shipments—largely closed. Prices have surged sharply, raising concerns about inflation and economic instability worldwide.

U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised allied nations for declining to assist in securing the waterway, though he has also said Washington could act independently.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for diplomatic solutions, warning of potential food, energy and fertiliser crises if the conflict persists.

Widening regional and global disruption

Iran has expanded its response beyond Israel, targeting Gulf states that host U.S. bases. Thousands of missile and drone attacks have reportedly struck infrastructure across the region, including ports, airports and oil facilities.

The United States military said it had carried out strikes on Iranian coastal positions to counter threats to shipping.

The broader fallout is being felt across global industries. Airlines have warned of rising fuel costs and potential route cuts, while international shipping faces severe disruption. Aid agencies, including the World Food Programme, have cautioned that prolonged conflict could push tens of millions of people into acute hunger.

As fighting shows no sign of easing, the escalation in attacks and leadership losses is raising fears of a prolonged and increasingly destabilising regional war.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 18 March 2026

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There is nothing wrong with cluster munitions in that conflict.

Iran and Israel declined to sign the ordinance (pun intended) banning them.

8 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

There is nothing wrong with cluster munitions in that conflict.

Iran and Israel declined to sign the ordinance (pun intended) banning them.

OK, so you are are giving Israel your blessing to fire cluster munitions into civilian areas. 🫢

12 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

OK, so you are are giving Israel your blessing to fire cluster munitions into civilian areas. 🫢

Russia's has using them on civvies as well in Ukraine Patong.

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

OK, so you are are giving Israel your blessing to fire cluster munitions into civilian areas. 🫢

I don’t think whether I give my permission makes any difference.

15 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

I don’t think whether I give my permission makes any difference.

I expect that you would be besides yourself with condemnation if Israel dropped a cluster bomb into a residential center of Tehran.

7 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

I expect that you would be besides yourself with condemnation if Israel dropped a cluster bomb into a residential center of Tehran.

Why? If they don't want to use them or have them used against them, they should have signed up to banning them. This goes both ways.

2 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Why? If they don't want to use them or have them used against them, they should have signed up to banning them. This goes both ways.

A signature on an agreement does not mean much. Many countries have signed off on human rights agreements, and do not respect them. Iran was one of them. Cambodia is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention on the banning of landmines. And yet, somehow, as if by magic, landmines keep popping up along the Thai - Cambodia border, maiming and killing Thais. Many countries signed up to respect fish stock conservation and yet those countries have fishing fleets which violate the agreements. China bottom dredges the offshore areas of Canada laying waste to massive expanses of the ocean. One of the reasons why the Somalis turned to piracy was because foreign fishing fleets destroyed their fish stocks. Thai, Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese fishing boats were frequent visitors to the waters off of Somalia. Need more examples? Agreements were made to restrict the use of many dangerous chemicals, and yet they are still pumped out by factories in Asia.

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

A signature on an agreement does not mean much. Many countries have signed off on human rights agreements, and do not respect them. Iran was one of them. Cambodia is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention on the banning of landmines. And yet, somehow, as if by magic, landmines keep popping up along the Thai - Cambodia border, maiming and killing Thais. Many countries signed up to respect fish stock conservation and yet those countries have fishing fleets which violate the agreements. China bottom dredges the offshore areas of Canada laying waste to massive expanses of the ocean. One of the reasons why the Somalis turned to piracy was because foreign fishing fleets destroyed their fish stocks. Thai, Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese fishing boats were frequent visitors to the waters off of Somalia. Need more examples? Agreements were made to restrict the use of many dangerous chemicals, and yet they are still pumped out by factories in Asia.

I didn't need any examples; they were all off-topic and irrelevant.

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

A signature on an agreement does not mean much. Many countries have signed off on human rights agreements, and do not respect them. Iran was one of them.

Where were you to condemn Israel when they were, and still are, not respecting human rights in their war in Gaza, Iran and elsewhere?

Stop defending your masters in the US and Israel, which I'm sure you now will deny again.

Just now, CallumWK said:

Where were you to condemn Israel when they were, and still are, not respecting human rights in their war in Gaza, Iran and elsewhere?

Stop defending your masters in the US and Israel, which I'm sure you now will deny again.

You made the statement that if one did not want to experience the cluster munitions, there should have been a sign off to an agreement agreeing to their non use. The examples I provided show that such agreements have no benefit if they are not observed. Iran has a history of violating international agreements. Ever hear of the. Syrian civil war? The Iranian Republican Guards who were assisting the. Assad regime participated in dropping barrel bombs on civilian targets. The bombs contained chemical substances such as chlorine. Such actions are banned. No action was taken against Assad and his enablers of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. Hezbollah ran multiple torture centers in Syria with the assistance of the Iranian intelligence services. These activities were supposedly banned.

And yet here you are to expect Israel, or any other nation for that matter to expect that iran would not violate any agreements. How would the ban be enforced? It's not as if the. enforcement actions against iran worked in the past. Do you have a magic wand to ensure compliance?

6 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

Where were you to condemn Israel when they were, and still are, not respecting human rights in their war in Gaza, Iran and elsewhere?

Stop defending your masters in the US and Israel, which I'm sure you now will deny again.

If Israel has violated human rights, then by all means pursue a case against them. Gather your evidence and make the case. The Israeli courts have previously acted on behalf of plaintiffs.

I am unaware that Israel is violating human rights in Iran. A state of hostility and indirect war has been in effect between Iran and Israel since 1985 when the Iranian regime declared that it would destroy Israel. Unfortunately, in war there are casualties.

Your defence of Iran will make the the Ayotallah happy. However, I expect that the Iranians forced to flee the country would not agree and would most likely make their views known to you in a form that I think that would be more effective than my polite words.

5 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

You made the statement that if one did not want to experience the cluster munitions, there should have been a sign off to an agreement agreeing to their non use.

No I didn't make any statement like that, but great attempt at deflection.

You can not answer my question I assume.

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

If Israel has violated human rights, then by all means pursue a case against them. Gather your evidence and make the case. The Israeli courts have previously acted on behalf of plaintiffs.

None so blind as those that are ignorant don't want to see.

Are the arrest warrant issued by the International Court of Justice not enough evidence for you?

Maybe I should just block you, because it is obvious that your a just a baiting MAGA troll

13 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

None so blind as those that are ignorant don't want to see.

Are the arrest warrant issued by the International Court of Justice not enough evidence for you?

Maybe I should just block you, because it is obvious that your a just a baiting MAGA troll

He's not MAGA, 'just' defending Israel at all costs with a much more subtle approach and deflections than some of the others.