Iranian Cluster Munitions Strike Rehovot Residences as Espionage and Regional Sabotage Escalate Conflict

Iranian cluster bombs strike Rehovot and Gulf oil sites as an IDF reservist is charged with spying for Tehran amid escalating regional war.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 20, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT

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

Cluster Bomb Impacts Target Civilian Centers

The central Israeli city of Rehovot became a primary target for Iranian ballistic missile fire on Friday, with at least one projectile deploying a cluster munition warhead over residential neighborhoods. According to Magen David Adom, two individuals in their 70s were lightly wounded when an apparent cluster bomb struck their home, causing a significant fire and structural damage. Emergency responders have been tasked with securing multiple impact sites across central Israel, as police warned that unexploded bomblets remain highly volatile and sensitive to any movement.

Espionage Breach in Air Defense Units

Coinciding with the aerial bombardment, Israeli authorities announced a severe security breach involving a 26-year-old IDF reservist serving in an Iron Dome air defense unit. The defendant, identified as Raz Cohen from Jerusalem, was indicted on Friday morning at the Jerusalem District Court for allegedly providing sensitive security information to Iranian operatives. Investigators from the Shin Bet and Lahav 433 revealed that Cohen maintained contact with Iranian agents for several months, transferring data on military sites and air defense operations in exchange for payments made in cryptocurrency.

Fatal Strike on IRGC Propaganda Leadership

In a major blow to Tehran’s information operations, the IDF confirmed the killing of Ali Mohammad Naeini, the primary spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The strike occurred shortly after Naeini had been quoted by state-run media rebuffing claims made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Iran's diminished missile production capabilities. Naeini had insisted that Iran’s missile industry deserved a "perfect score" and continued to produce weaponry despite nearly three weeks of sustained U.S.-Israeli bombardment, a narrative the Israeli military sought to dismantle through the targeted operation.