Iranian Cluster Munitions Strike Central Israel As IDF Eliminates Key IRGC And Basij Intelligence Leaders

Iranian cluster missiles damage homes in Rehovot and Jerusalem. IDF confirms deaths of Basij and IRGC leaders as U.S.-Israel strikes hit 16 ships in the Gulf.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 20, 2026, 2:51 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Cluster Warheads Impact Rehovot; Shrapnel Hits Jerusalem’s Old City The conflict escalated Friday as Iran deployed ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions. In Rehovot, fragments from intercepted missiles impacted approximately 10 locations, sparking a house fire and lightly wounding two residents in their 70s. In a high-profile incident shortly before Shabbat, debris from an intercepted missile fell in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, striking a parking lot just 400 meters from the Western Wall. While the impact caused property damage and shattered windows in the Armenian Quarter, no injuries were reported in the capital.

IDF Confirms Elimination of Basij and Intelligence Ministry Officials The Israeli military announced the success of high-precision strikes in Tehran targeting the "oppressive forces" of the Iranian regime. Following the earlier confirmed death of Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, the IDF verified that Ismail Ahmadi, the Basij chief of intelligence, was also killed in the same strike on a paramilitary tent camp. Additionally, a joint operation by the Mossad, Shin Bet, and Military Intelligence successfully eliminated Mehdi Rastami Shamastan, a senior Intelligence Ministry official accused of orchestrating global terror plots against Jewish and Israeli targets.

IRGC Propagandist Killed Hours After Mocking Israeli Military Success In a notable sequence of events, IRGC spokesman Gen. Ali Mohammad Naini was killed in an IAF airstrike just hours after his defiant comments were published in state media. Naini had claimed Iran’s missile production remained "perfect" despite Israeli claims of its destruction. The IDF identified Naini as the regime's "main propagandist," responsible for disseminating terror ideology to proxies across the Middle East. His death marks a significant blow to the IRGC’s psychological warfare and public relations apparatus.

U.S. and Israel Target Iranian Maritime Assets in the Gulf The campaign against Iran’s economic and logistical infrastructure expanded to the sea on Friday. Local Iranian media reported that "American-Zionist" air attacks targeted the port towns of Bandar Lengeh and Bandar Kong. According to officials in the Hormozgan province, at least 16 Iranian cargo vessels were completely destroyed by fire during the operation. This maritime strike coincides with ongoing IAF waves targe...