A national security expert has suggested that Hezbollah and Iran have initiated a synchronized strike strategy, following reports of coordinated attacks involving lethal cluster munitions against Israel.
These events occurred on the 11th day of “Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion,” a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, signaling a potential intensification of the regional conflict.
“Hezbollah has fully entered the conflict, and it appears they are operating in close coordination with Iran,” stated Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, speaking from a bomb shelter near Tel Aviv.
“The majority of Hezbollah’s drone and rocket launches are occurring simultaneously with Iranian missile strikes,” he noted.
According to The Associated Press, Israel has confirmed that Iran is utilizing cluster munitions, a development that poses a significant and lethal challenge to Israel’s air defense capabilities.
These warheads detonate at high altitudes, dispersing numerous smaller bomblets over a wide radius. These submunitions, which can appear as orange fireballs at night, are difficult to intercept and have proven to be highly destructive.
Correspondent Nate Foy also observed that despite Israel’s robust air defenses, half of the incoming missiles are difficult to counter because they are equipped with cluster warheads.
“The deployment of cluster missiles by Iran, combined with the intentional targeting of civilians and infrastructure, should be classified as the use of non-conventional weaponry, necessitating a proportionate American-Israeli response,” Michael urged.
Prohibited by more than 120 countries under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, these weapons are widely condemned due to their indiscriminate, wide-area impact, which frequently leads to severe civilian casualties.
Michael’s comments followed a Reuters report indicating that Hezbollah is applying lessons from previous conflicts with Israel as it braces for a potential full-scale ground invasion and a prolonged war.
The report cited sources claiming the group is reverting to guerrilla warfare tactics in southern Lebanon.
“Operating in small cells, fighters from the Iran-backed organization are avoiding communication devices vulnerable to Israeli interception and are conserving essential anti-tank rockets during engagements with Israeli forces,” the sources familiar with Hezbollah’s military operations stated.
Michael further noted that “the northern region, specifically toward Haifa, is experiencing heavy bombardment.”
“Israeli citizens are forced to spend most of their time in shelters because Hezbollah and Iran are deliberately targeting civilian populations and facilities,” he said.
“Tel Aviv remains under an emergency status, with sirens sounding frequently and many residents spending significant time in bomb shelters,” he added, emphasizing that “Israel is a small nation and cannot sustain this level of asymmetry and war of attrition.”
As of Tuesday night, the IDF reported launching a series of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
This action followed repeated evacuation warnings issued by the military for the area, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.
In a post on X, the IDF stated: “This is what we are operating against.”
Reuters sources also indicated that much of Hezbollah’s ground combat has been concentrated near the town of Khiyam, located at the intersection of the Lebanese, Israeli, and Syrian borders.
This is a region where Hezbollah anticipates a potential Israeli land invasion might commence. The group’s elite Radwan fighters, who had withdrawn from the south following the 2024 ceasefire, have reportedly returned to the area.
“Israel will undoubtedly seize control of a significant portion of territory in southern Lebanon, extending from the international border to the Litani River, to establish a security buffer zone,” Michael stated.
“This will prevent Hezbollah from striking Israeli villages and towns in the north and will allow for intensified operations against Hezbollah throughout Lebanon,” he added.
“We hope that President Trump will not halt operations or adopt the approach used with the Houthis—declaring victory while leaving a wounded adversary capable of regrouping or seeking revenge.”
Meanwhile, an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that approximately half of the projectiles being launched by Iran toward Israel are now cluster bombs.