What is Sejjil? 10 Things to Know About Iran’s Ultra-Heavy Missile -

Is Sejjil the Most Powerful Iran’s Missile Ever? 10 Things You Need to Know :

Iran’s Sejjil is a powerful two-stage, solid-fuel medium range ballistic missile. It has been in the news because Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) recently fired Sejjil rockets toward Israel. Below are 10 key facts about this missile, based on defence experts and news reports.

Missile Type: The Sejjil is a road-mobile, two stage, solid propellant ballistic missile. It uses solid fuel (not liquid) and is classified as a medium range ballistic missile. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Sejjil was designed and built in Iran and is one of the country’s strategic missile systems.
Range & Payload: Sejjil can fly roughly 2,000 km (about 1,240 miles) and carry a warhead of roughly 500-700 kg (over 1,100–1,500 lbs). In other words, it can reach far beyond Israel and even parts of Europe from Iran. This range puts many major cities in the Middle East and beyond within its reach.
Size and Weight: The missile is about 18 meters (60 feet) long and 1.25 meters (4 feet) in diameter, with a launch weight around 23.6 metric tons. That’s roughly the weight of a medium-sized truck. It’s similar in size and range to Iran’s older Shahab-3 missile, but the big difference is its fuel and design.
‘Solid-Fuel’ Advantage: Because Sejjil uses solid propellant, it can be launched much faster than older liquid fuel rockets. Solid fuel means the missile is already fuelled and sealed in its tube, so it does not need lengthy pre-launch fuelling. CSIS notes this is a major improvement over the Shahab rockets, making Sejjil harder to detect before launch. In simple terms, Sejjil can “sit and wait” on a truck until ordered to fire, then blast off quickly.
Testing History: Iran first tested Sejjil in late 2008. That first test reportedly flew about 800 km. By 2010, later tests showed much longer flights. one test in 2010 reportedly flew around 1,900 km, nearly to the western Indian Ocean. These tests demonstrated that the missile could reach its intended range.
Service Entry: The missile entered service around 2012. Iran even displayed it in parades, showing it alongside older missiles. However, it was not frequently tested after 2012, leading some experts to call its deployment “uncertain.” In fact, Sejjil largely disappeared from view for years. It reappeared in 2021 during Iran’s Great Prophet 15 drills, which suggested Iran may have upgraded its guidance system.
Name Meaning: “Sejjil” (also spelled Sejil) is a Persian word meaning “brimstone” or “baked clay.”In the Quran it refers to the stones that destroyed enemies, so the name implies destructive power. Iran has also called variants “Ashura” or “Sajjil,” but it’s essentially the same missile family.
Strategic Uses: Sejjil gives Iran a quick-strike capability at long range. For example, Iranian sources have claimed that if fired from Natanz, the missile could reach Tel Aviv in under 7 minutes. Its two stage design even allows the warhead to separate in flight, which can improve accuracy. (Some claims say it can hit within about 50 meters of a target, though exact accuracy is hard to verify.) In any case, Sejjil is meant for strategic targets, and Iran has said it is among its most powerful missiles.
Recent Combat Use: In June 2025 Iran’s IRGC publicly announced firing Sejjil missiles at Israel. They said this marked a new wave of attacks (calling it the 12th wave of “Operation True Promise 3” against Israel). Reports say Iran launched several Sejjil missiles at Israeli military and industrial sites (around Haifa and Tel Aviv) during this barrage.
Israeli Interception: Israel’s air defenses quickly countered. Both Israeli officials and media report that the Sejjil rockets were intercepted, with debris causing only minor damage (a vehicle hit by fragments). In other words, Israel shot down the newly deployed Sejjil missiles, so they did not hit their targets. Analysts note that militarily, these missiles were not far more advanced than other long-range Iranian rockets already fired in the conflict. Their use was partly symbolic – a show of Iran’s missile power, though it did not greatly change the fighting.