According to the Iranian Makhir News Agency, on October 18 local time, the Iranian Parliament approved through voting that Mehdi Ahlaki Ketaebchi would be appointed as Iran's new Defense Minister.
In February this year, Aziz Nasirzadeh, the then-Iranian Defense Minister, was killed in large-scale air strikes by the United States and Israel, resulting in a vacancy on that position. Earlier this month, Iranian President Eshrat Pezhikhzayan nominated Ahrari as the new Defense Minister. According to Iranian constitution, this nomination must be submitted to the Iranian Parliament, where lawmakers will need to conduct a vote of confidence after reviewing Ahrari's plans.
In the vote conducted on the 18th local time, the Iranian Parliament approved the nomination of Ahrakhi with 237 votes in favor and 15 against.
Source Image: Mehediyeh Akhlaqi Ketaebachi, Persian News Agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Before the vote, Ahrari gave a speech to the Iranian parliament, stating that if the United States and Israel launched another attack against Iran, Iran would respond in a “surprising and extensive manner”. He mentioned that his focus would include expanding Iran’s defense industry production, strengthening military research, and adjusting the structure of Iran’s Defense Ministry in response to current security threats.
Ahlakai also revealed that he has been on the 'enemy assassination list' for 35 years.
According to media reports from the Anadolu Agency in Turkey, Ahrakhi is a senior official who has close ties to Iran's missile industry. He once led the Shohrete Bagheri Industrial Group, which was involved in Iran's ballistic missile program. In 2014, he was appointed as the head of Iran's aerospace industry organization. In 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on Ahrakhi on the grounds that he was suspected of being 'associated with Iran's weapons activities'.
After the United States launched military strikes against Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that he wanted to eliminate Iran's ballistic missile capabilities. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi emphasized in June that the missile issue would not be discussed during negotiations between Iran and the United States. He said that if Iran did not have missiles for self-defense, "Israel and the United States would attack Iran, just like they did in Gaza."
