Iran uses cluster warhead against USS George Washington for the first time

Iran has used a cluster warhead against a US aircraft carrier for the first time. The attack on the USS George Washington occurred on September 5, 2026. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Tehran used a Qassem Basir ballistic missile — a solid-fuel medium-range missile with a range of 1,200 km, unveiled in May 2025. The missile is equipped with a maneuvering warhead and an electro-optical guidance system, making interception difficult. Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei confirmed the missile was armed with a cluster warhead and passed "near" the vessel. Cluster munitions disperse numerous submunitions over a wide area, causing maximum damage even without a direct hit. This is the second use of cluster warheads against US forces in a short period: on September 8, Iran struck the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan. ISW analysts note that the shift to cluster weapons indicates Tehran's intent to increase casualties and inflict political losses on Washington. Earlier, in March and April 2026, Iran used cluster warheads in strikes on Israeli residential areas, compensating for the low accuracy of standard missiles.