Iran’s parliament on Sunday approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as the country’s new defence minister, appointing the veteran defence official to the post following the death of his predecessor in a US-Israeli strike in February.
Akhlaghi secured 237 votes in favour out of 277 votes cast, according to the government website. State television reported that lawmakers in the Islamic Consultative Assembly had endorsed his nomination as minister of defence and armed forces logistics.
He succeeds Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed on February 28 in an attack on a leadership compound that also claimed the lives of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders, according to the supplied account.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Akhlaghi said the defence ministry would face significant responsibilities at a sensitive time, stressing the need to assess regional developments and prepare for different possible scenarios.
