The Sejjil Debuts: Iron Dome’s Nightmare
On Sunday, 15 March, Iran fired several advanced missiles at Israeli and American positions. One missile in particular caught the world's attention — the Sejjil. Iran used this missile in battle for the very first time since the war began on 28 February. So what exactly is this missile, and why is everyone talking about it?
The Sejjil is a ballistic missile, meaning it is launched upward into space and then comes crashing down on its target at terrifying speed. Think of it like throwing a stone high into the sky — except this "stone" weighs over 23,000 kilograms, travels faster than a bullet, and can carry a warhead of up to 1,000 kilograms.
What makes the Sejjil special is that it runs on solid fuel, just like a rocket firecracker — ready to light and go. Older Iranian missiles like the Shahab series ran on liquid fuel, which takes time to fill before launch, like pouring petrol into a car. The Sejjil needs no such preparation. It can be launched very quickly, giving the enemy almost no time to react.
The missile is two-stage, meaning it has two engine sections that fire one after the other — the first pushes it out of the atmosphere, and the second guides it toward the target. It can travel nearly 2,000 kilometres, which means it can easily reach Israel from Iranian soil.
Now here comes the most fascinating part — why it is nicknamed the "dancing missile." During its final approach, the Sejjil can move and change direction at very high altitude. Imagine trying to catch a ball that suddenly zigzags just before reaching you. That is exactly what happens with air defence systems like Israel's famous Iron Dome. The missile's unpredictable movement makes it extremely difficult to shoot down.
It flies at over Mach 13 — that is roughly 17,000 kilometres per hour, more than thirteen times the speed of sound. At that speed, even the most advanced defence systems have very little time to respond.
Iran began developing this missile back in the early 1990s. The first test was in 2008, when it flew around 800 kilometres. Since then, six tests have been conducted. In the sixth test, it reportedly flew nearly 1,900 kilometres, reaching all the way to the Indian Ocean.
Iran has also developed an upgraded version called the Sejjil-2, with improved navigation systems. Some reports claim it can hit a target with less than 10 metres of error — roughly the size of a small room — though this has not been officially confirmed.
In simple words, the Sejjil is fast, hard to stop, quick to launch, and built entirely inside Iran. Its use on 15 March marks a serious escalation, and the world is now watching very closely to see what comes next.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the publication, its editors, or its management. The publication is not responsible for the accuracy of any information, statements, or opinions presented in this piece.
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Filmmaker dubs viral Kumbh Mela girl’s wedding ‘love jihad’, plans to approach MP CM
Khargone (MP) (PTI): Film director Sanoj Mishra has claimed the marriage of Monalisa Bhonsle, the young woman who gained prominence during last year's Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, with a Muslim man is a case of "love jihad".
After meeting Bhonsle's family on Sunday, Mishra said he would take up the matter with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
The term ‘love jihad’ is used by right-wing groups to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into relationships and marriage to convert them to Islam.
Bhonsle, who is from Maheshwar town in MP and part of the nomadic Pardhi community, shot to fame after videos of her selling garlands and rudraksha during the 2025 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj went viral on social media.
She married Farman Khan on March 11 at the Nainar Temple at Arumanoor in Kerala, according to her family.
Bhonsle is shooting in the southern state for her Malayalam debut movie ‘Nagamma’, which is being filmed near Thiruvananthapuram.
Talking to reporters after meeting her parents in Maheshwar, Mishra said he expected the MP government to take the matter seriously and that he was trying to secure an appointment with the chief minister to present the entire sequence of events along with the family.
He claimed the family now realises that it was “a well-planned attempt to trap the girl”.
Certain organisations fund unemployed youths to target Hindu girls to “defame Sanatan Dharma”. Bhonsle's wedding is 'love jihad', he charged.
Bhonsle had been selected for the lead role in his upcoming movie ‘The Diary of Manipur’, which deals with the issue of religious conversion, the filmmaker said.
Mishra alleged that he and his “Sanatani ideology” were targeted because of the film and that Bhonsle was brainwashed and trapped. The entire episode appears to have been “written and executed like a script”, he added.
The filmmaker also questioned why the wedding took place in Kerala. He said the relationship between Bhonsle and her husband was being portrayed as an example of communal harmony.
“Had the boy been Hindu and the girl Muslim, would the relationship have been promoted in the same way?” he asked.
During the meeting, Bhonsle's grandmother, aunt, younger sister and other family members said they were facing social humiliation due to the incident.
Her uncle Vijay Bhonsle claimed she was born in 2009 and was still a minor. He alleged that her age was increased in documents during the passport process, enabling the marriage to be projected as legal.
Monalisa Bhonsle, however, earlier said the reports of her being underage were “fake and incorrect. “I am 18 years old,” she told the media in Kerala after her marriage last week.
A family member alleged that Farman had earlier addressed Monalisa Bhonsle as his sister.
Local BJP leader Vikram Patel claimed that Bhonsle had fallen victim to a conspiracy in Kerala and said legal experts were being consulted before raising the matter with the chief minister.
Mishra said he would continue to raise the issue until “justice” was served.
