If A US-Iran War Breaks Out, Can Tehran Strike Back In Minutes? The Sejjil Missile Explained

Last Updated:February 05, 2026, 16:19 IST

Iran's Sejjil cannot reach the US mainland, but its 2,000-km range and quick-launch design mean American bases in the Gulf would be among the first targets if conflict erupts.

A Sejjil missile is being moved along the reviewing stand during a military parade to commemorate the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, in Tehran September 22, 2009. (REUTERS)

As Washington and Tehran prepare for their first formal negotiations since the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities last year, tensions between the two countries are once again sharply elevated.

US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran’s supreme leader “should be very worried," even as the US deploys additional air and naval assets to the region. “I would say he (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) should be very worried. Yeah, he should be," Trump told NBC News in an interview on Wednesday.

Iranian officials, for their part, insist that any American attack would trigger an immediate and decisive response, including strikes on US forces and assets in the region.

The talks in Oman’s capital Muscat, bringing together Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, follow weeks of confrontation: a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests inside Iran, Trump’s deployment of what he called an “armada," a US aircraft carrier shooting down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats threatening to board a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

With both sides signalling firm red lines, we take a look at the tools Iran might use if diplomacy fails, including the missile it fired during its attack on Israel last year: the Sejjil.

What Is The Sejjil Missile?

The Sejjil — also known as Sajjil, Ashoura, or Ashura — is an indigenously developed, two-stage, solid-fuel ballistic missile designed by Iran’s Ministry of Defence-run Aerospace Industries Organisation. Work on the missile began in the early 1990s, building on Iran’s experience with the Zelzal short-range ballistic missile, which had received Chinese assistance.

The missile measures around 18 metres in length and 1.25 metres in width, weighs approximately 23,600 kilograms and can carry a warhead of up to 700 kilograms. It can carry both normal explosives and nuclear warheads.

It has a range of around 2,000 kilometres, sufficient to strike Israel and major US military facilities across the Gulf.

The Sejjil was first tested in 2008 and again in 2009, with at least four tests overall. The last known test occurred in 2012, when the missile entered the Indian Ocean. Iran has since inducted it into service. Military footage released in 2021 showed updates to its jet vane controls and what Tehran described as “enhanced inertial navigation," aimed at improving accuracy.

The Sejjil-2, unveiled in 2009, incorporated a modified warhead design and guidance wings, though some reports suggest it may simply have been a test-phase designation. Rumours persist of a Sejjil-3, a three-stage missile with a potential 4,000-kilometre range, but conclusive evidence has not been made public.

How Is Sejjil Different From Iran’s Other Missiles?

The defining feature of the Sejjil is its use of solid fuel. Earlier Iranian missiles, such as the Shahab-3, rely on liquid fuel and require time-consuming preparation before launch, making them vulnerable to detection and pre-emption. Solid-fuel missiles can be launched quickly, stored for long durations, moved across Iran’s terrain by road, and fired with minimal warning. This dramatically increases their survivability in the event of a surprise attack.

The missile is also manoeuvrable across its flight phases, complicating efforts by modern air-defence systems to intercept it. According to a Euronews report, Tehran has reportedly claimed that the missile could reach Tel Aviv in roughly seven minutes if launched from central Iran, illustrating both its speed and intended regional use.

How Does Sejjil Fit Into Iran’s New Military Doctrine?

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi recently outlined a shift in Tehran’s defence posture, stating that the country has moved from a “defensive" to an “offensive" approach following last year’s 12-day conflict.

“Following the 12-day war, we have changed our military doctrine from defensive to offensive by adopting the policy of asymmetric warfare and [boosting readiness for a] crushing response to the enemies," he said.

According to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV, Mousavi said Iran had strengthened its deterrence power by upgrading its ballistic missiles “in all technical dimensions," and warned that any misjudgement by adversaries would provoke a rapid and decisive reaction.

These remarks reference the June conflict in which Israel and, later, the US conducted strikes that killed more than 1,000 people, as reported by Iranian state media. Iran retaliated with strikes on locations in the occupied territories and on the Al-Udeid base in Qatar. Since then, Iranian officials say the country has accelerated efforts to strengthen both its defensive and offensive capabilities.

In this context, the Sejjil serves as a central pillar of Iran’s retaliatory strategy. Its survivability, quick launch capability, and range give Tehran the means to respond even if parts of its launch network are degraded.

Why Sejjil Could Be A Gamechanger If The US Attacks Iran

The Sejjil does not alter the strategic landscape by threatening the United States mainland. It simply cannot: the missile is a medium-range ballistic missile, and Iran currently does not possess any operational Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland.

While its Simorgh and Zuljanah space-launch vehicles use dual-use technology and bring Iran closer to long-range capability, the country has not demonstrated the re-entry vehicle technology required for an intercontinental missile. Tehran’s threat to the US in any near-term conflict therefore lies in regional retaliation, not strikes on American soil.

As a solid-fuel, medium-range ballistic missile, Sejjil can be launched with little warning. Its mobility makes it difficult to locate, target, or destroy pre-emptively. This means that even if the US conducts early strikes on Iranian infrastructure, Tehran could retain the ability to respond immediately.

With its 2,000-kilometre reach, the Sejjil can strike virtually every major US and Israeli military facility across the Gulf region, including airbases, naval nodes, logistics hubs and command centres. In the event of conflict, Iran could launch several missiles simultaneously. Such salvo launches strain defence systems, increasing the likelihood that at least some missiles would penetrate interception layers.

Its manoeuvrability adds another layer of difficulty for missile-defence systems. Taken together, these factors turn Sejjil into a credible state-level retaliatory tool below the nuclear threshold but far more significant than Iran’s network of proxies.

The Road Ahead For US–Iran Negotiations

Last year, Araghchi and Witkoff completed five rounds of nuclear talks before the process abruptly ended when Israel launched what Iranian officials called an unprovoked war of aggression, just two days before a scheduled sixth round.

The fighting, later joined by the United States, reportedly killed more than a thousand people in Iran and left widespread damage across civilian, military and scientific sites.

With that experience still shaping Tehran’s posture, Iranian officials say any new engagement with Washington must be confined to nuclear issues alone, rejecting negotiations over missiles or regional activities. They also maintain that progress is only possible in an atmosphere free of threats and what they describe as unjustifiable or illegal demands, Press TV reported.

News explainers If A US-Iran War Breaks Out, Can Tehran Strike Back In Minutes? The Sejjil Missile Explained

Read More