Iran's parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaqi as minister of defense
Lawmakers backed the 68-year-old missile industry veteran with 237 votes, ending months of interim leadership and tasking him with rebuilding Iran’s defense production.
- On Sunday, Iran's parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlachi Ketabchi as defense minister with 237 votes in favor out of 277 cast, ending months of interim leadership at the ministry.
- Akhlachi replaces interim leader Majid Ebn al-Reza following the February death of former Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh in a US-Israeli strike that killed senior military commanders.
- Subject to United Nations sanctions since 2007 for alleged ballistic missile involvement, Akhlachi has spent 42 years in Iran's defense ministry and pledged to rebuild military-industrial infrastructure.
- CNN reported this week that the United States developed strike plans using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, known as the "mother of all bombs," targeting Iranian nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations.
- Akhlachi warned that if the President "drops a single bomb, he will have to see how many of his troops end up being carried out of the region in a horizontal position," while Tehran claims it has taken necessary measures to counter potential US attacks.
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165 Articles
Iran has received an armaments expert as a new Minister of Defense. Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi (68) follows the former Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in the US-Israeli war against Iran in February. Shortly after his appointment, the Secretary of Defense immediately sent threats to the US.
Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi? Meet Iran’s new tech-focused defence minister in the news amid US war, UN sanctions
Iran's Parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi's appointment as Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics on Sunday, with 237 lawmakers voting in favour and 15 against his nomination, out of 277 votes cast.
Iran's parliament on Tuesday approved the appointment of Mehrdad Ahlaghi as defense minister, eight months after the death of his predecessor, who was killed in late February on the first day of the Middle East war. Ahlaghi succeeds Revolutionary Guards General Majid Ebnelreza, who had taken over the post temporarily after the death of former defense minister Aziz Nasirzadeh in US and Israeli airstrikes in February.
Mehrdad Ajlaqi assumed office as Iran's Defense Minister and warned that the U.S. and its allies would suffer enormous damage if Washington resumed attacks.
NEW Iranian Defense Minister Mehrdad Ahlaki said that Iran is ready for a conflict with Israel, that it is moving military production to safe locations and announced the flight of a domestic fighter plane next year.
"People can be sure that, very probably, they won't dare attack us," he said.
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