Iran parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaghi as new defense minister
Akhlaghi won 237 of 277 votes and takes office eight months after his predecessor was killed in a US-Israel strike.
Iran's parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as the new defense minister on Oct. 18, replacing Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in a US-Israel strike on Feb. 28. Iran's state television reported that Akhlaghi won 237 votes in favor out of 277 cast. The appointment came nearly eight months after the initial attack that triggered war with the United States. Akhlaghi is not a military officer, but he has worked for 42 years at Iran's Defense Ministry and has led the state-owned weapons producer Defence Industries Organisation since 2013. In 2007, the United Nations imposed sanctions on him over alleged involvement in Iran's nuclear or ballistic missile activities.