Iran’s parliament has voted for a defence minister with experience in missile production, the state broadcaster reported on Sunday
In the parliament, known as the Majlis or Islamic Consultative Assembly, 237 of the 290 lawmakers voted for the arms industry expert Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had formally nominated him in early October.
The 68-year-old succeeds former minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in Tehran on February 28 in the war against Iran launched by the United States and Israel. Since then, a general of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Majid Ebn-e-Reza, had acted as minister during the crisis.
According to Iranian reports, the new minister is an experienced expert from the arms industry. He led the state Aviation Industries Organization (AIO), which is involved in developing and producing missile systems.
Missile programme a top priority for Tehran
Ketabchi is under international sanctions. The European Union, for example, imposed penalties in connection with his role at the AIO. The EU also accuses him of being involved in procuring banned goods and in technologies supporting Iran’s nuclear programme. The UN and the US had also imposed sanctions on him.
Modernizing the missile programme is a top priority for Tehran. For years, the Iranian leadership has relied on ballistic missile production for military deterrence.
In the war against Israel and the US, Iran’s counter-attacks on Israel and US bases in the region were carried out mainly with missiles.