The conflict between Iran and Israel intensified further on Thursday as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of its Sejjil-2, a long-range ballistic missile targeting Israel.
“The twelfth wave of Operation ‘True Promise 3’ has begun with the launch of ultra-heavy, long-range, two-stage Sejjil missiles,”
the Iranian embassy in India posted on X, quoting the IRGC.
“Sejjil missiles, powered by solid fuel and with long-range capabilities, are among Iran’s most accurate and powerful strategic weapons. They possess the ability to penetrate and destroy critical enemy targets,”
the embassy added.
According to The Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully intercepted the missile, although debris reportedly caused minor damage to a civilian vehicle.
The Iran-Israel conflict has now entered its seventh day, following mutual strikes. Earlier this week, Israel targeted a major Iranian nuclear site, claiming it housed components used in the development of nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile strikes, one of which reportedly impacted an Israeli hospital.
While Israel asserted that the Iranian target was military infrastructure, Iran claimed the hospital was not the intended target and the damage was caused by the “blast wave” from a missile.
What is the Sejjil-2 Missile?
The Sejjil-2 is a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) developed by Iran and powered by solid fuel, offering greater mobility and faster launch capability than older liquid-fuel systems like the Shahab series.
- Range: Approx. 2,000 km
- Payload capacity: Around 700 kg
- Length: 18 m
- Diameter: 1.25 m
- Launch Weight: Approx. 23,600 kg
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the first test launch of Sejjil-2 occurred in 2008, during which it flew 800 km. A second launch in May 2009 tested enhanced guidance systems. Since then, four more test flights have occurred, with one reportedly reaching 1,900 km into the Indian Ocean.
The Sejjil-2’s two-stage propulsion and solid-fuel design give it strategic advantages in both speed and accuracy, making it a key element of Iran’s missile arsenal.