Iranian parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaghi as defense minister

Iran’s parliament has approved the appointment of Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as defense minister, eight months after his predecessor, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was killed at the onset of the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi?

Akhlaghi Ketabchi is a veteran official in the Ministry of Defense with close ties to Iran’s missile and space industries. In 2007, the UN Security Council identified him as the head of the Bagheri Industrial Group, an entity under the Iranian Ministry of Defense linked to the country’s ballistic missile program.

Former defense minister Hossein Dehghan appointed Akhlaghi Ketabchi as head of the Aerospace Industries Organization in November 2014. The United States imposed sanctions on him in 2020, naming him as director of the Defense Industries Organization and citing his involvement in conventional weapons activities.

Akhlaghi Ketabchi came to prominence while leading the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group, which is associated with Iran’s missile program. In a 2008 sanctions statement, the US Treasury Department said he played a key role in managing the group’s affairs and negotiating equipment purchases.