The lethality of Iran’s sophisticated missile arsenal has been underscored following the death of a second victim in central Israel. Health officials confirmed on Tuesday that an individual who had been critically wounded during Monday morning’s barrage has succumbed to his injuries. This brings the confirmed death toll from this specific strike to two, as the conflict shifts towards the use of indiscriminate wide-area weaponry.
The Mechanism of Destruction
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has increasingly deployed ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads—a controversial class of weapon designed to saturate large areas with explosives. Unlike a singular conventional warhead, these missiles detonate mid-air, releasing dozens of smaller explosive devices, or “submunitions,” across a vast radius.
In the latest offensive, these submunitions impacted at least six distinct locations across central Israel, including the densely populated municipalities of Yehud, Or Yehuda, Holon, and Bat Yam.
Table: Technical Comparison of Iranian Missile Payloads
| Feature | Standard Ballistic Missile | Cluster (Submunition) Missile |
| Warhead Weight | Approx. 500 kg (Single block) | Multiple submunitions (2.5 kg each) |
| Explosive Distribution | Concentrated impact point | Dispersed over 8 km (5 miles) |
| Submunition Count | N/A | 24 to 80 individual bomblets |
| Guidance System | Precision-guided to target | Unguided scatter-pattern |
| Primary Threat | Structural demolition | Anti-personnel / Wide-area terror |
Tragedy at the Construction Site
The two fatalities have been identified as Rustam Gulmov and Amid Murtuzov, both residents of Petah Tikva in their 40s. The men were employed at a major infrastructure construction site in the city of Yehud when the cluster warhead deployed its payload directly above them.
Major General Rafi Milo, head of the IDF Home Front Command, noted that while dozens of their colleagues survived by adhering to sirens and entering fortified shelters, the victims remained in the open. A crane operator at the site described the harrowing moments to the Haaretz newspaper:
“I had to disconnect the load and stabilise the crane before descending. It took precious minutes. As I reached the ground and sprinted for an underground parking garage, the explosion occurred just ten seconds later. When I emerged, I found them on the ground. I cannot understand why they didn’t seek cover.”
The Danger of Unexploded Ordnance
Beyond the immediate blast, the Israeli military has warned of the “silent threat” posed by these weapons. Military footage from 1 March shows a warhead opening over central Israel, raining more than two dozen fragments across the horizon. Critically, not all submunitions explode on impact. These “duds” remain highly volatile, effectively turning residential streets and construction sites into active minefields.
The Home Front Command has reiterated that the relatively small size of a cluster bomblet—comparable to a small rocket—does not diminish its ability to kill. As demonstrated in the apartment strikes in Or Yehuda, those who followed safety protocols survived unscathed, while those caught in the open faced fatal consequences.