Iran’s parliament approves new defence minister

The UN sanctioned Mehrdad Akhlaghi in 2007 over his alleged involvement in nuclear or ballistic missile activities. (Mehr News Agency pic) TEHRAN: Iranian lawmakers on Sunday approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as the country's new defence minister, replacing his predecessor who was killed on the first day of the war with the US.

"Members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (parliament) today gave a vote of confidence to Mehrdad Akhlaghi, the nominee for minister of defence and armed forces logistics," state television reported, nearly eight months after the initial US-Israeli strikes that sparked the conflict.

According to the government website, Akhlaghi "was elected to the post with 237 votes in favour", out of a total of 277 votes cast.

The veteran defence official replaces Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in a US-Israeli attack on a leadership compound on Feb 28, alongside former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders.

"If I receive parliament's vote of confidence, responsibility for the defence ministry will fall to me at a sensitive juncture," Akhlaghi said before the vote, according to the ISNA news agency.

"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 added.

Although he does not hold a military rank, Akhlaghi has worked in the defence ministry for 42 years and has headed the Iranian Dfence Industries Organisation, the state's weapons manufacturer, since 2013.

The UN sanctioned Akhlaghi in 2007 over his alleged involvement in nuclear or ballistic missile activities.