The use of cluster munitions by the Houthis in a ballistic missile strike targeting central Israel on Friday represents a significant and deeply concerning evolution of the regional conflict and the group’s operational capabilities.
This is not merely a tactical shift; it is a strategic signal with implications for regional deterrence, air defense architecture, and the broader proxy dynamics between Iran and its adversaries.
The deployment of a cluster warhead via ballistic missile marks a departure from the Houthis’ previous reliance on unitary warheads and drone swarms.
Cluster munitions are designed to maximize area denial and inflict damage across dispersed soft targets, including civilian infrastructure and personnel. Their use in a ballistic delivery system exponentially increases the threat radius, complicates interception, and challenges post-impact remediation.
Unlike conventional warheads, cluster munitions fragment mid-flight, releasing dozens to hundreds of submunitions. This fragmentation can occur at altitudes that render traditional missile defense systems such as Israel’s Arrow or David’s Sling less effective, as these systems are optimized for intercepting intact airborne projectiles rather than dispersed bomblets.
The fact that one such submunition landed in the moshav of Ginaton in central Israel, causing minor damage, underscores the difficulty of full-spectrum interception and the potential for mass casualty events in urban environments.
Iran possesses several types of ballistic missiles, including the Qadr and Khoramshahr, with cluster munitions, and has used them against Israel during the 12-day war. The transfer of knowledge and advanced weaponry to the Houthis is no secret.
Strategic Messaging and Iranian Involvement
The Houthis’ announcement that the missile targeted Ben-Gurion Airport – they tend to say when targeting central Israel – is part of a broader psychological campaign by the group. It is intended not only to demonstrate their reach and resolve but also to continue to “enforce its blockade” with international airlines continuing to refrain from flying to Israel.
More importantly, it reflects the continued determination of Iran’s proxy warfare doctrine. Tehran has long used Yemen as a testbed for advanced weapons systems, including cruise missiles, loitering munitions, and now cluster-equipped ballistic platforms. And even as it continues to lick its wounds from Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, it continues to support its proxies.
Iran has understood that it needs to penetrate Israel’s air defenses, and this is just one more way that works.
This escalation aligns with Iran’s broader effort to saturate Israel’s defense systems from multiple fronts – Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The Houthis’ integration into this axis of resistance is operational.
Their ability to launch long-range, ballistic missiles with cluster munitions with strategic intent places them in a new category of threat, one that demands recalibrated Israeli deterrence and response protocols.
While Israel struck back on Sunday, targeting civilian infrastructure as well as a military site where the presidential palace is located, two power plants, and a fuel storage site, the response is reminiscent of how Israel acted against its enemies prior to October 7.
LIKE THE Qassams launched by Hamas at the beginning of the First Intifada in 2001, Israel did not respond decisively; instead, it allowed these rockets to drip into Gaza border communities. And look at what we have seen over the past 22 months.
The evolution of another proxy to use increasingly sophisticated weaponry should worry Jerusalem regarding what Hezbollah and other regional proxies are working on.
What’s next? And from where?
Implications for Israeli Air Defense and Strategic Planning
The failure to intercept the missile before fragmentation raises critical questions about the limitations of Israel’s multi-tiered air defense network. Though they are phenomenal, the various air defense systems are not optimized for the mid-flight fragmentation of cluster warheads. This gap must be addressed through both technological upgrades and doctrinal shifts.
Furthermore, the use of cluster munitions introduces a persistent hazard. Unexploded submunitions pose long-term risks to civilian populations, complicate emergency response, and require extensive clearance operations. From a strategic planning perspective, this necessitates a reevaluation of civil defense protocols, urban resilience strategies, and counter-proliferation efforts targeting Houthi supply chains.
In June, one submunition from an Iranian Khoramshahr-4 missile scattered some 80 cluster munitions (similar to a Grad rocket). While no one was injured, impacted sites were found in the Israeli city of Or Yehuda and half a dozen other communities.
A New Phase in Asymmetric Warfare
The Houthis’ use of cluster ballistic missiles reflects a convergence of technological proliferation, proxy empowerment, and Iran’s ongoing strategic ambition. Yemen is not a peripheral theater; it is a strategic launchpad for Iran to continue to fuel regional conflict.
Israel has to understand that the challenge is not merely intercepting the next missile; it is about anticipating the next evolution in adversary capabilities and ensuring that its defense posture remains adaptive, layered, and resilient.