TEHRAN — Iran said it successfully test-fired a new generation of long-range surface-to-surface missile Wednesday — one that could easily strike as far away as southeastern Europe with greater precision than earlier models.
The Sajjil is a solid-fuel high-speed missile with a range of about 1,200 miles, Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammed Najjar said on state television. At that range, it could easily strike Iran’s arch-foe Israel and go as far as southeastern Europe.
Solid-fuel missiles are more accurate than the liquid-fuel missiles of similar range currently possessed by Iran. The country has had a solid-fuel missile with a shorter range — the Fateh, able to fly 120 miles — for several years.
The Islamic Republic News Agency said the test was conducted Wednesday, and television showed the missile being fired from a desert launching pad.
Najjar said the missile was a defensive weapon and not a response to threats against Iran. He didn’t name any country, but Israel recently has threatened to take military action against Iran to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb. Israel’s Foreign Ministry refused to comment about the missile test.
In Washington, the State Department said the missile tests were not good for the stability of the region and were another sign that U.S. plans to construct a missile shield in Europe are critical to international security. Department spokesman Robert Wood said that Washington hoped Russia, which has criticized the proposed shield, would recognize the threat posed by Iran and realize the system is not aimed at Russia.
“I think it’s pretty obvious when Iran launches one of these ballistic missiles, that this is something of concern to the international community, and I’m including Russia in the international community here,” he said.
