Iranian parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as defence minister
publishers 13articles 16first reported 18 Oct, 01:46 UTCdeveloping since 18 Oct · 7 editions
Iran’s parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as defence minister on Sunday, with 237 lawmakers voting in favour and 15 against. He replaces Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed during US-Israeli attacks earlier this year.
President Masoud Pezeshkian urged lawmakers to support Akhlaghi, citing his backing across Iran’s armed forces and more than four decades of experience in the Defence Ministry and related organisations. Pezeshkian said Iran would not initiate aggression against another country but would respond forcefully to attacks on its territory.
Akhlaghi previously led the Aerospace Industries Organization, the Defence Industries Organization and the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group. His experience centres on ballistic missiles, solid-fuel propulsion, aerospace technology and military-industrial production. He and several organisations he formerly headed are subject to US sanctions; Al Jazeera also reported that he is under United Nations sanctions.
After his approval, Akhlaghi warned that another US “miscalculation” would draw a “surprising and extensive” response, with regional and global consequences. He said Iran had refined and updated its defensive capabilities and had taken measures to counter the possible use of the US GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast weapon.
Pezeshkian also claimed Akhlaghi was on a US “assassination list” and said he hoped the new minister would remain alive while working to strengthen Iran’s defence capabilities.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 3 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 3 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 6 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- This version written
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