Iran launches Sejjil missile at Israel. Here's what we know about the Ashura weapon with 2,000-km range

Iran on Sunday reportedly reportedly used one of its most advanced ballistic missiles, called Sejjil, to target the Israeli and US-linked positions. This is said to be the first time that Iran has deployed the missile since the war began on February 28. Here's everything we know about it.

What is the Sejjil missile?

The Sejjil missile, also called as Ashoura or Ashura, is two-stage ballistic missile powered by solid fuel.

It is said to be a heavy, long-range missile designed with a two-stage structure and solid propellant. Solid-fuel technology allows missiles to be launched more quickly compared with liquid-fuel systems, reducing preparation time and making them harder for adversaries to detect or destroy before launch.


Developed within Iran, the Sejjil is classified as a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). With an estimated range of about 2,000 kilometres, it is capable of striking targets across the Middle East, including Israel, as well as parts of Europe and Asia.

Data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) indicates that the missile measures roughly 18 metres in length with a diameter of about 1.25 metres. It has a launch weight of approximately 23,600 kilograms and can carry a payload of around 700 kilograms. The missile was first tested in 2008, although no confirmed tests have been reported since 2012.

Iran is also believed to have developed multiple variants of the Sejjil system. In 2009, Tehran announced a successful test of a version referred to as “Sejjil-2.” There have also been unconfirmed reports suggesting that a “Sejjil-3” variant could be under development.

Reports suggest that Iran’s latest strike against Israel marks the first known combat use of the Sejjil missile.

Iran war enters Day 15

The conflict began on February 28 when Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, while also calling on Iranian citizens to challenge the country’s leadership. Iran responded with retaliatory attacks targeting Israel as well as locations in neighbouring Persian Gulf states.

The fighting, now entering its 15th day, has disrupted global air travel routes, affected oil shipments from the region and pushed fuel prices higher worldwide.

Since the start of the conflict, Iranian missile attacks have killed at least a dozen civilians in Gulf countries, many of them migrant workers. In Iran, the International Committee of the Red Cross reports that more than 1,300 people have been killed so far. According to Iran’s Health Ministry, cited by the judiciary-run Mizan news agency, the casualties include 223 women and 202 children.

In Israel, Iranian missile strikes have killed 12 people since the war began, with several others injured, including three people on Sunday. At least 13 US military personnel have also died during the conflict, six of them in a plane crash in Iraq last week.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s humanitarian situation has worsened. The country’s Health Ministry reports that more than 820 people have been killed and around 850,000 displaced after Iran-backed Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel, prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes and the deployment of additional troops to southern Lebanon.