Iran's parliament approves Akhlaqi as defence minister
Iran's parliament has approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as defence minister, with 237 votes in favour, state broadcaster IRIB reported. President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing lawmakers virtually, said he hopes the US-sanctioned nominee can 'survive', claiming he is on a US 'assassination list'.
TEHRAN — Iran’s parliament has approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as the country’s new defence minister, state broadcaster IRIB reported, with 237 votes in favour and 15 against out of 277 votes cast during a session held by video conference.
President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed lawmakers virtually as they considered the nomination on Sunday, telling them he hopes the US-sanctioned nominee can “survive,” according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. Pezeshkian claimed Akhlaqi is also on a US “assassination list,” and said he had backing across Iran’s military and security establishment, including the regular army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the defence ministry.
Akhlaqi, a longtime senior official in Iran’s defence establishment, previously led the Aerospace Industries Organisation and the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group (SBIG), which has links to Iran’s ballistic missile programme. Washington has imposed sanctions on him over his alleged involvement in missile-related activities.
He replaces former defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed during US-Israeli attacks on Iran earlier this year. Pezeshkian said Tehran had no intention of attacking other countries but would respond forcefully to any assault on its territory, declaring: “Our defence is not only missiles; our defence is the people and the unity and cohesion we have in the country.”
Read next: Pezeshkian: Iran would respond strongly to any attack — Anadolu Agency
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