Iran Launches ‘Khyber’ Cluster Missile Strikes on Tel Aviv; US Carrier Retreated

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has escalated its retaliatory campaign, claiming a massive strike on Tel Aviv using advanced Khyber-Khattab (Kheybar Shekan) ballistic missiles. These third-generation solid-fuel missiles, reportedly equipped with cluster bomb warheads, targeted Israel’s commercial hub in a synchronized wave alongside dozens of drones.

Cluster Munitions Target Tel Aviv Amid Media Blackout

Reports from Russian media and local observers indicate that the IRGC utilized “Khyber” variant missiles designed to bypass air defense systems through terminal phase maneuvering. Unlike standard warheads, these cluster munitions scatter approximately 20 explosive submunitions over a wide radius, designed to saturate urban infrastructure.

During the height of the attack, a live news feed in Tel Aviv was abruptly diverted, and sirens reportedly failed to sound in several districts, leading to confusion among residents. While the IDF is currently assessing the impact, early footage suggests multiple fragments streaked across the central Israeli sky, causing localized fires and structural damage.

USS Abraham Lincoln Intercepts Drones in Gulf of Oman

Simultaneously, the IRGC Navy attempted to strike the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Oman. Iranian state media claimed that a “precision strike” by domestically produced drones forced the carrier strike group to retreat over 1,000 kilometers from Iranian maritime borders.

However, US CENTCOM has dismissed these claims as a “fabrication,” stating that the missiles and drones “did not even come close” to the vessel. Despite the denial, maritime tracking data suggests the carrier group has adjusted its position further into the Arabian Sea to maintain a defensive standoff.

Manama Hotels Hit in Regional Spillover

The conflict continues to bleed into neighboring Gulf states. In Manama, Bahrain, two hotels and a residential building were struck by suicide drones. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior confirmed that while the attacks caused significant property damage and required civil defense teams to extinguish resulting fires, no loss of life has been reported.

“The land and sea will increasingly become the graveyard of the terrorist aggressors. Our Khyber missiles have proven that no shield can protect the heart of the Zionist entity.” — IRGC Official Statement.

What’s Next: Evaluation of ‘Unexploded’ Submunitions

The IDF Home Front Command has issued an emergency warning to citizens in central Israel regarding unexploded “bomblets” from the cluster warheads, which effectively act as landmines. Specialized sapper units are expected to spend the next 24 hours clearing debris in Tel Aviv, while the US is reportedly preparing a B-2 bomber response to target the specific factories producing the Khyber missile series.

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