Iran’s parliament has reportedly approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as the country’s new Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. The vote was held on Sunday, October 18, and filled a post that had been vacant for nearly eight months.
According to the report you shared, 237 of the 277 lawmakers who took part voted in favor and 15 voted against. I could not independently confirm these figures or the final result.
Background
President Masoud Pezeshkian nominated Akhlaghi, also spelled Ketabchi, to fill the post left vacant when Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed in US-Israeli strikes in February. Nasirzadeh died on February 28. Majid Ebn-e-Reza, previously the deputy defense minister, has run the ministry as acting minister since March 2.
The nomination was submitted in a letter to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Parliamentary committees then reviewed it, and the nominee held online sessions with lawmakers before the vote.
The nominee
Akhlaghi was born on September 10, 1958. He is a longtime Defense Ministry official with deep ties to the country’s missile and aerospace sectors. He headed the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group, a Defense Ministry entity linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program, and was appointed head of the Aerospace Industries Organization in November 2014. He has also directed the Defense Industries Organization.
After his nomination, he said reorganizing the country’s defense industries would be a priority. He also met IRGC commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi to discuss cooperation between the armed forces and the defense industries.
Sanctions
Akhlaghi was placed under UN sanctions in 2007. They lapsed in October 2023 and were reimposed in September 2025. He is also subject to sanctions by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Japan.
Pezeshkian said the lawmakers’ show of unity would strengthen the country’s defense capabilities and military strategy. This quote comes from the article you provided, and I could not find it in the other reports.