Summary: Non-signatory Iran acknowledges the humanitarian concerns associated with cluster munitions, but has not taken any steps to accede to the convention due to various long-held objections. Iran abstained from voting on a key United Nations (UN) resolution promoting the convention in December 2018.

Iran is not known to have used cluster munitions, but it has imported, may have produced, and likely stockpiles them.

Policy

The Islamic Republic of Iran has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Iran acknowledges the humanitarian concerns raised by cluster munitions, but has not taken any steps to accede to the convention due to its long-standing objection to the process that created it. [1] In October 2017, Iran said that “by bypassing the United Nations disarmament machinery, the process leading to the conclusion of the Convention on Cluster Munitions disregarded the interests and concerns of many States.” [2]

Iran has also criticized the convention’s provisions on participating in joint military operations with states not party that use cluster munitions. [3] In 2011, it said “to be effective, a convention regulating aspects of cluster munitions should include the major producers and former users of these munitions.” [4]

Iran did not participate in the Oslo Process that created the convention.

Iran has participated as an observer in one meeting of the convention, the Second Meeting of States Parties in Beirut, Lebanon in September 2011. [5] It was invited to, but did not attend, the Eighth Meeting of States Parties in September 2018.

In December 2018, Iran abstained from the vote on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution, which urges states outside the convention to “join as soon as possible.” [6] Iran has abstained from voting on the annual UNGA resolution since it was first introduced in 2015. [7]

Iran is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty nor the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use

Iran is not known to have used cluster munitions.

Cluster munitions were used in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War in 1980–1988. [8] According to one source, during the war Iraq used air-dropped cluster bombs in 1984 against Iranian troops. [9] A United States (US) Navy aircraft used 18 Mk-20 Rockeye bombs in attacks on Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboats and an Iranian Navy ship on 18 April 1988. [10]

Production

There is evidence that Iran may produce cluster munitions.

Several western media outlets have claimed that Iran’s domestically produced rockets and missiles may include a submunition variant, such as the Zolfaghar short-range ballistic missile. [11] One source claims that Iran has displayed “a variant of the Fateh missile with 30 submunitions, each weighing approximately 20 pounds” while “other Iranian missiles known to be equipped with submunitions include the long-range Ghadr and the medium-range Qiam.” [12] Iran produces various types of unguided 122mm, 240mm, and 333mm rockets, but it is not known if these include submunition payloads. [13]

Transfer and stockpiling

Iran has imported cluster munitions and likely possesses a stockpile. Jane’s Information Group lists Iran as possessing KMGU dispensers that deploy submunitions, PROSAB-250 cluster bombs, and United Kingdom (UK)-made BL755 cluster bombs. [14] Additionally, Iran possesses Grad 122mm surface-to-surface rockets. [15]