Iran cluster warheads hit Tel Aviv overnight after Tehran said the strike was retaliation for the killing of Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani. Iranian state media presented the missile attack as part of a wider response to Israeli strikes on senior Iranian figures as the war entered a new phase of escalation.
Israeli officials said the attack killed two people in the Tel Aviv area and accused Iran of using cluster munitions, which release multiple smaller explosives over a wide area and are harder to intercept. The strike added to fears over the growing intensity of the conflict and the risks facing densely populated civilian areas.
Iran Cluster Warheads Escalate Retaliation
Iran linked the latest strike to the killing of Ali Larijani, one of the most senior Iranian officials targeted since the war began. Iranian authorities confirmed his death on Tuesday, while reports also said his son and deputy were killed in the same Israeli attack.
The deaths marked another major blow to Iran’s leadership. Tehran’s response shows that the conflict is still expanding rather than de-escalating, despite international calls for restraint.
Bushehr Nuclear Site Incident Adds New Risk
The war also raised concern around Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency that a projectile hit an area near the Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday evening, but said there was no damage or injury.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi urged maximum restraint to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident. The Bushehr incident added another dangerous dimension to a conflict already affecting military targets, cities, shipping routes and energy infrastructure.
PANIC IN ISRAEL AS IRANIAN MISSILE FRAGMENTS INTO DOZENS OF BOMBS https://t.co/GRh3OGgxhE pic.twitter.com/C72Q35gEYV
— RT (@RT_com) March 17, 2026Wider War Keeps Pressure On Region
The latest exchange came as Iran, Israel and the United States remained locked in a broader regional confrontation. Oil prices have risen sharply, Gulf infrastructure has been repeatedly attacked, and the Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of global concern.
Read: Ali Larijani Killed As Iran Confirms Security Chief Death
At the same time, political tensions in Washington also deepened after National Counterterrorism Centre chief Joseph Kent resigned, saying Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States. The combination of military escalation, energy disruption and diplomatic strain shows how quickly the crisis is widening.
