Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on may 1 that fourteen soldiers were killed and two others injured while clearing unexploded bombs. These munitions were remnants of cluster bomb airstrikes attributed to the US and Israel in Zanjan province.

Since the conflict began on february 28, Iran has accused the US and Israel of using cluster bombs. These weapons can leave behind unexploded submunitions that may remain dangerous for decades. Israel, in turn, has accused Iran of using similar weapons in missile attacks targeting Israeli cities.

Smoke rises after an airstrike on Tehran, Iran on march 3. Photo: AFP

The IRGC reported that some unexploded bombs were buried up to 3 meters deep, posing a significant threat to local residents as they were not visible. IRGC experts are actively engaged in disposal efforts, having already neutralized over 15,000 explosive devices across approximately 1,200 hectares of agricultural land in Zanjan.

The IRGC described this as a complex operation, demanding high technical skill, specialized equipment, and significant dedication.

The Oslo Convention, which prohibits the production, stockpiling, sale, and use of cluster munitions, was signed by 123 countries in 2008. Iran, Israel, and the US are not signatories to this convention.

Cluster bombs are typically dropped from aircraft, while cluster munitions are often launched from artillery, rockets, or missiles. These weapons are large but cause damage not through a single explosive charge or penetrating warhead. Instead, they disperse numerous smaller submunitions upon approaching their target.

Location of Zanjan province in northwestern Iran. Graphic: Britannica

When a military decides to employ cluster bombs or munitions, it signals that widespread destructive capability is prioritized over weapon precision.

However, this also implies that military commanders pay less attention to the long-term consequences of these weapons. Some submunitions may malfunction, failing to detonate and instead scattering across wide areas, falling to the ground or becoming entangled in vegetation, often without any mapping or marking.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, Fars)