Iran's parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as defence minister on Sunday, voting 237 to 15, state broadcaster IRIB reported.
The session was held by video conference, according to IRIB, as reported by Turkey's Anadolu Agency. It said he received 237 votes in favour and 15 against, with no abstentions.
IRIB said 277 votes were cast. The reported figures for and against add up to 252, and the reports seen by Tehran Telegraph did not explain the difference.
Before the vote, lawmakers heard arguments from supporters and opponents and reviewed Mr Akhlaghi's plans for the ministry, according to Anadolu and Iran's Borna News.
Parliament's Industries and Mines Committee backed his plans, according to its spokesperson, as reported by the opposition media outlet Iran International.
Anadolu reported that Mr Akhlaghi told lawmakers Iran would deliver a "surprising and extensive" response if the United States and Israel attacked again. It said he added that Washington and its allies would bear responsibility for the consequences.
No reaction from the US or Israel to the appointment had been reported.
Anadolu said Mr Akhlaghi's stated priorities were expanding defence production across Iran's industrial network, increasing research and adapting the ministry's structure to current threats.
The post is formally Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, according to Borna. The ministry oversees defence production and logistics.
Mr Akhlaghi succeeds Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, according to Anadolu. Iran International places the strike in Tehran at the start of what it calls the 40-day war.
Majid Ebn al-Reza ran the ministry as acting minister after Mr Nasirzadeh's death, Anadolu said. Under Iranian procedure, ministers need a parliamentary vote of confidence after the president nominates them.
President Masoud Pezeshkian nominated Mr Akhlaghi earlier this month, according to Iran International. The Sunday Guardian reported that the nomination was made on 5 October under Article 133 of the constitution. That date was not confirmed by other outlets.
Mr Akhlaghi is a long-time Defence Ministry official and a former head of the Aerospace Industries Organization, according to Anadolu and Iran International. Iran International describes him as an insider in Iran's military-industrial sector.
The organisation he previously led is linked to missile and space programmes. Anadolu reported that Mr Akhlaghi is under US sanctions over missile-related activities. The Sunday Guardian reported that he is also under UK sanctions, which other outlets did not mention.
His name appears in several spellings in different reports, including Akhlaqi and Akhlaghi Ketabchi.
Iran has been in conflict with the US and Israel in 2026. Iran International refers to a 12-day war and a 40-day war. The 12-day war is widely known as the Israel-Iran conflict of June 2025.
The 40-day war began with the US-Israeli strikes on 28 February, according to the reports.
Iran International's live blog reported that Israel has left open the possibility of renewed strikes on Iran and that the US has hinted at a longer stay in the Middle East. It said Tehran continues to warn of renewed conflict. The Sunday Guardian reported that Washington is weighing its military options.
Photo: Fooroogh Taherkhani / Mehr News Agency / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
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