Mehrdad Akhlaghi Becomes Iran's Defense Minister as Conflict Escalates
Theo Al Jazeera English (Maziar Motamedi)
Iran's parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, 68, as defense minister with 237 votes in favor and 15 against, in an online session held since the war with the U.S. and Israel began on February 28. A ballistic missile and aerospace expert under U.S. and UN sanctions, he takes over after predecessor Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed on the war's first day.
Iran's parliament voted on October 17 to approve Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, amid forecasts that the conflict between Tehran and Washington will continue to escalate.
According to the vote count, 237 lawmakers voted in favor and 15 against. The session has been held online since the war between Iran and the United States and Israel broke out on February 28.
Akhlaghi, 68, takes the post after his predecessor, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was killed along with several other senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war. Before Akhlaghi's approval, Majid Ebn-e Reza held the position on an interim basis; Ebn-e Reza now becomes the new minister's deputy.
Core tasks
The new defense minister will be responsible for rebuilding and expanding Iran's defense industrial infrastructure, a sector heavily targeted by the United States and Israel. His defense plan had previously been approved by senior military commanders, President Masoud Pezeshkian and the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
Speaking after the parliamentary vote, President Pezeshkian said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not initiate aggression against any country, but it will defend the country's territorial integrity forcefully and to the end against any act of aggression." He said Akhlaghi has more than 42 years of experience working at the Ministry of Defense and related organizations.
Ballistic missile expert
According to state media, Akhlaghi's main expertise is in ballistic missiles, solid-fuel propulsion, aerospace technology and defense industrial production. He has previously headed Shahid Bagheri Industries Group, the Aerospace Industries Organization and the Defense Industries Organization.
Akhlaghi himself and these organizations are all on the U.S. sanctions list; he is also subject to United Nations sanctions.
According to Tasnim, a media outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Akhlaghi has been linked to the development of numerous missile types and related weapons projects over several decades. He is said to have taken part in expanding the main Sejjil and Zolfaghar ballistic missile lines, as well as precision-guided weapons such as the Almas missile and the Yasin guided bomb.
He is also reported to have expertise in space launch platforms, research missiles and infrastructure related to the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan — factors seen as pivotal in Iran's wars with Israel and the United States.
Priority on developing strategic weapons
Earlier this month, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik told reporters that Akhlaghi's nomination reflected Iran's need to increase both the quantity and quality of strategic weapons, especially missiles and drones. He said "offensive weapons are being actively upgraded."
The United States has repeatedly stated that it has destroyed most of Iran's defense industrial capacity, but Tehran insists it has retained significant offensive and defensive capabilities beyond the reach of U.S.–Israeli airstrikes, and says these weapons have been upgraded based on recent combat experience.
According to sources, Akhlaghi has said he met senior military commanders, including IRGC commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, to better understand the force's requirements during and after the war. His priorities as defense minister include accelerating defense industry development, strengthening air defense, applying new technologies through state-owned and private enterprises, improving welfare for the armed forces and expanding international defense cooperation.
In his first remarks in the new post, Akhlaghi responded to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, after Washington this month threatened to use the bomb dubbed the "mother of all bombs" against Iran's nuclear and energy infrastructure. He told reporters: "We have prepared and continue our work with a comfortable mindset. The U.S. president should think about withdrawing his forces from our region intact. If he drops a bomb, he must calculate how many soldiers he will have to evacuate horizontally."
