TEHERAN - IRAN has successfully test-fired a new generation of long range surface-to-surface missile using solid fuel, making them more accurate than its predecessors, the defence minister announced on Wednesday.

Mr Mostafa Mohammed Najjar said on state television that the Sajjil was a high-speed missile manufactured at the Iranian Aerospace department of the Defense Ministry. He said it had a range of about 2,000 kilometres.

Solid fuel missiles are more accurate than the liquid fuel missiles of similar range currently possessed by Iran.

The official IRNA news agency said the test was conducted on Wednesday and television showed the missile being fired on Wednesday from a launching pad in a desert region.

'This missile is a two-stage weapon with two combined solid-fuel engines and has an extraordinary high capability', the television quoted Mr Najjar as saying. He didn't elaborate.

Mr Najjar said the missile was a defensive weapon and not a response to threats against Iran.

He didn't name any country but Israel has recently threatened to take military action against Iran to stop Teheran from developing a nuclear bomb.

'This missile test was conducted within the framework of a defensive, deterrent strategy ... and specifically with defensive objectives', Mr Najjar added.

Iran is known to possess a medium-range ballistic missile known as the Shahab-3, which means 'shooting star' in Farsi, with a range of at least 1,300 kilometres.

In 2005, Iranian officials said they had improved the range of the Shahab-3 to 2,000 kilometres.

Iran's Shahab-3 missile has been known to use liquid fuel.

Missiles using liquid fuel have are less accurate.

In September 2007 during a military parade, Iran unveiled another missile, the Ghadr, which it said has a range of 1,800 kilometres.

Iran launched an arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq to compensate for a US weapons embargo.

Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armoured personnel carriers, missiles and a fighter plane. -- AP