In a brutal and widespread ᴀssault on day 45 of the 2026 US-Iran war, Iran has unleashed a mᴀssive barrage of cluster munitions targeting three major Israeli cities — Tel Aviv, Beersheba, and Holon — in direct retaliation for the killing of top Iranian official Ali Larijani.
Hundreds of ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads rained down across central and southern Israel. The bomblets dispersed mid-air, creating widespread impact zones that overwhelmed air defense systems. Large areas of Tel Aviv reported multiple explosions, shattered buildings, and raging fires. In Beersheba, residential neighborhoods and infrastructure near the city center took heavy damage, while Holon suffered direct hits on civilian and industrial zones.
Israeli emergency services report significant casualties and widespread destruction. Hospitals in the affected cities are overwhelmed as rescue teams work through the night searching for survivors under the threat of follow-up strikes. The Israeli Defense Forces admitted that the sheer volume and low-alтιтude dispersal of cluster munitions allowed many bomblets to penetrate the Iron Dome and Arrow systems.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesmen declared the attack part of “Operation Larijani Revenge,” vowing continued strikes until Iran’s losses are fully avenged. This latest barrage demonstrates Iran’s persistent ability to hit Israeli population centers despite intense U.S. and Israeli counter-operations.
The ᴀssault comes as the United States maintains overwhelming military pressure in the region, with a full aircraft carrier strike group, F-35 squadrons, and 10,000 elite troops now deployed. Just yesterday, U.S. and Israeli MQ-9 Reapers destroyed 125 Iranian Shahed drones before launch, while American forces continue pounding Iranian coastal positions near the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command reports nearly 200 American troops injured across the theater with 13 confirmed deaths. President Donald Trump condemned the attacks as “cowardly and barbaric,” reaffirming full U.S. support for Israel.
Brent crude prices remain above $123 per barrel as global markets stay on edge amid the ongoing chaos in the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel is now on the highest state of alert as the war enters a dangerous new phase of direct city-to-city retaliation.
The situation is extremely volatile and developing rapidly.
