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Iranian lawmakers have approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as the country’s new defence minister, replacing Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28.
According to AFP, state television reported on Sunday that members of Iran’s parliament had voted to confirm Akhlaghi, nearly eight months after the initial US-Israeli strikes triggered the war.
According to the government’s website, Akhlaghi received 237 of 277 votes. He replaces Nasirzadeh, who died in an attack on a leadership compound alongside former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders.
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Before the vote, Akhlaghi said the role would come with major responsibilities at a critical time for the country.
“If I receive parliament’s vote of confidence, responsibility for the Ministry of Defence will fall to me at a sensitive juncture,” he said, according to the ISNA news agency.
He added that defending Iran would require careful planning and preparation for different possible outcomes.
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“Under such circumstances, defending the country requires an accurate understanding of the environment, an understanding of the logic behind developments, the identification of influential trends, and preparedness to face different possible futures,” he said.
Although Akhlaghi does not hold a military rank, he has worked in Iran’s Defence Ministry for 42 years. He has also led the Iranian Defence Industries Organisation, the country’s state weapons manufacturer, since 2013.
The United Nations (UN) sanctioned Akhlaghi in 2007 over his alleged involvement in nuclear or ballistic missile activities.
