Article Posted on : - Nov 12, 2008

Iran test-fires a new generation missile. Photo from Press TV

DUBAI (BNS): Iran on Wednesday claimed that it had test-fired a next generation surface-to-surface missile with a 2000-km range during war games near the Iraqi border.

Reacting swiftly, the US state department deputy spokesperson Robert Wood said that the latest Iranian ballistic missile test was a violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions. �We will talk to our allies to build broad international pressure on Iran to stop carrying out these missile tests because they are not good for stability in the region,� Wood said.

Meanwhile, state-funded Press TV reported quoting Iranian defence ministry as saying that the new missile is called �Sejjil�, and �burns a combination of solid and liquid fuel.�

�This feature significantly improves �Sejjil's precision compared to earlier long-range Iranian missiles such as the Shahab 3,� the report said.

�The missile has been fully developed and manufactured at the Aeronautics Department of Iran's Defence Ministry. According to Iranian officials, the launch of �Sejjil� followed a year-long project aimed at boosting the country's deterrent capabilities,� the report added.

�The testing of this missile has been carried out within the framework of our defensive deterrent doctrine and the Islamic Republic's standard missile activities,� Iranian defence minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar was quoted as saying by agencies.

Najjar claimed that �Sejjil� had a range of about 2000 km, similar to Shahab 3. The Iranian media claimed it was a two-stage missile using combined solid fuel giving it a high launching speed.