Iranian Parliament Approves Appointment of Mehrdad Akhlaghi as Defense Minister

Iran's parliament approved by an overwhelming majority of 237 votes the appointment of engineer Mehrdad Akhlaghi Kotchechi as defense minister and armed forces support minister, succeeding former minister Aziz Nasirzadeh who was killed in joint airstrikes earlier this year. Akhlaghi, born in Rasht in 1958, is the first civilian to hold the post without rising through traditional military ranks, and his mission focuses on rebuilding damaged missile and air capabilities and accelerating domestic arms production. The UN Security Council and European Union placed him on sanctions lists since 2007 over his role in developing Iran's ballistic missile program. The move comes amid a severe economic crisis, with the Iranian rial hitting record lows and oil exports halted over the past month and a half, weakening Tehran's ability to fund military manufacturing.