Named After Slain Military Commander, Iran Launches New ‘Haj Qassem’ Ballistic Missile On Israel

Iranian state media has announced the deployment of its new Haj Qassem guided ballistic missile, named after General Qasem Soleimani, in a series of strikes targeting Israel.

Soleimani, the influential commander of Iran's Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike in 2020.

Photo Credit: x.com/IrnaEnglish

The missile, which uses solid fuel, reportedly has a range of 1,200 kilometres and is designed to evade advanced missile defence systems such as America's THAAD and Israel's Patriot batteries.

Although the full extent of the damage remains classified, initial reports from Israeli military sources indicate that while several incoming missiles were intercepted, others did manage to strike infrastructure in southern Israel.

What is the Haj Qassem missile?

Revealed in early May by Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, the Haj Qassem is a medium-range, solid-fuel ballistic missile with an estimated range of around 1,200 km.

It is equipped with a manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle (MaRV) and modern guidance systems, including optical and infrared seekers, as well as inertial navigation - all aimed at overcoming advanced missile-defence systems such as THAAD and Patriot.

Nasirzadeh highlighted the missile's capability to "identify a specific target among multiple options" without relying on GPS.

Speaking to Iranian television, Defence Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh claimed the upgraded missile could evade US and Israeli defence systems: "It can identify and strike a specific target among many," he said.

Western analysts remain cautious about some of Iran's performance claims, suggesting they may be influenced by internal propaganda.

However, they also acknowledge that the missile's improved design reflects notable advancements in Iran's long-range precision-strike capabilities.

Why has it been launched now?

This missile strike represents Iran's direct retaliation against Israel's recent offensive, known as Operation Rising Lion, which reportedly targeted over 200 Iranian military and nuclear facilities, resulting in the deaths of several senior commanders and scientists.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had warned that the Israeli attacks would receive "no half‑measured response", signalling a shift in Iran's military posture towards direct confrontation.

Experts believe that the launch of the Haj Qassem missile is more than a symbolic gesture - it marks a significant display of Iran's advancing precision-strike abilities.

With American forces scrambling to intercept further missiles and Israel warning of additional retaliation, analysts fear that the region may be on the brink of a deeper military conflict.