The Iranian parliament has granted final approval to Mehrdad Akhlaki Ketabchi as the country’s new Defense Minister. The decision was reached following a vote held during a parliamentary session on Sunday, as reported by the Anadolu Agency. According to Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, 237 out of the 277 lawmakers present—participating via video conference—voted in favor of Akhlaki, securing his appointment with overwhelming support. The vote took place after the parliament heard arguments for and against his candidacy and reviewed his plans for the Ministry of Defense. Akhlaki succeeds the former Defense Minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed during an initial joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28.
Following Nasirzadeh’s death, Majid Ibn al-Reza had been serving as the acting Defense Minister. In his address to the lawmakers prior to the vote, Akhlaki warned that if the United States and Israel were to launch further attacks against Iran, Tehran would deliver a “surprising and all-encompassing” response. He added that should the “American-Zionist enemy” make another miscalculation, the reaction from the Iranian nation and the warriors of Islam would be both extraordinary and extensive. He further cautioned that Washington and its allies would bear full responsibility for any regional or international consequences that might follow.
Akhlaki noted that he has been on the enemies’ “hit list” for the past 35 years. He also pledged to further strengthen Iran’s “Resistance Front.” His key priorities include expanding defense production across Iran’s industrial network, intensifying research efforts, and restructuring the Ministry of Defense to better address current security threats. Akhlaki, a long-serving senior official at the Ministry of Defense, previously headed the country’s Aerospace Industries Organization. He had previously been subjected to U.S. sanctions due to his involvement in Iran’s missile program.
