Tehran: The ongoing war between Iran and Israel has entered its third week, and Tehran continues to rain missiles and drones on the Gulf countries and Israel.
After a fire broke out in a drone attack on a fuel tank near
Dubai International Airport in the early hours of Monday, the 17th day of the
war, Iranian authorities have now confirmed that they tested their strategic
ballistic missile ‘Sajil’ for the first time in the 54th wave of Operation ‘Wadah
Sadiq 4’ against Israel on Sunday.
The Sajil missile, also known as the ‘Ashura’, is a
two-stage ballistic missile that runs on solid fuel. Unlike liquid-fueled
missiles, it can be launched very quickly. It is 18 meters long and weighs
23,600 kilograms, while it is capable of carrying a conventional or nuclear
warhead weighing 700 kilograms.
The most dangerous thing about this missile is its
flexibility and speed. According to Iranian claims, it can reach Tel Aviv in
just seven minutes after being launched from central Iran. The Sajil missile is
capable of hitting Egypt, Sudan, and parts of southern Russia, most of Ukraine,
parts of western China, India, and large parts of the Indian Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea.
The Sajil missile has been nicknamed the ‘dancing missile’
due to its ability to change its trajectory throughout its flight, which makes
it difficult for Israel’s famous ‘Iron Dome’ and other conventional defense
systems to stop it. It also has an anti-radar coating that makes it invisible
to radar.
According to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the
Sajil, along with the Khorramshahr, Khyber Shakan, Qadr, and Emad missiles,
were also used in Sunday’s attacks. In addition to Israeli administrative and
military centers, these attacks targeted Al-Harir Air Base, Ali Al-Salem Air
Base, and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, causing severe damage and panic there.
Israeli media reported that an Iranian missile hit the
residence of a US consular official in Tel Aviv, while at least three Israelis
were injured in a shelling in southern Tel Aviv. One person was also injured in
central Israel when fragments of the missile fell.
Although this is the first use of the Sajil in the current
war, Iran has used it in the 12-day war against Israel last year. At that time,
Iran shocked the world by targeting the Israeli army’s intelligence complex and
command center in Beersheba.
Defense experts believe that Iran is also working on a more
advanced version of the Sajil (Sajil 3) that could have a range of up to 4,000
kilometers. The Sajil missile could be even more terrifying if it were equipped
with nuclear weapons.
Iran first tested the missile in 2008. Since 2009, four
additional flight tests of the missile have been conducted. During the sixth
test, the missile traveled about 1,900 kilometers in the Indian Ocean.
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