Iran Names UN-Sanctioned Missile Chief as Defence Minister

TEHRAN — Iran's parliament on October 18 approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as the country's new defence minister, according to Irish Sun, which cited Iranian state media and international news agencies. He received 237 votes in favour and 15 against, out of 277 votes cast in an online parliamentary session, the report said.

According to Irish Sun, Akhlaqi previously headed the Aerospace Industries Organization and has held senior posts in Iran's defence sector. The report describes him as a veteran of the country's defence industry.

The same report says his name appears on the United Nations sanctions list. The list identifies him as the former head of the Shahid Baqeri Industrial Group, which it says was designated for its role in Iran's ballistic missile programme. According to Irish Sun, he was added to the UN list in 2007 under measures linked to Security Council Resolution 1737, adopted in 2006. The report says the United States has also sanctioned him over his missile-related activities.

Before the vote, Akhlaqi addressed lawmakers. According to Irish Sun, he warned that Iran would respond forcefully to any further US-Israeli attack. The report quotes him as saying the response would be "surprising and extensive." He also warned that Washington and its allies would bear the consequences.

Akhlaqi succeeds Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in the initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, the report said. Majid Ebn al-Reza had served as acting defence minister after Nasirzadeh's death, according to the same source.

Irish Sun also reported several other items. Seyyed Mansur Gatamiri, head of the alumni relations office at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, told Iran's ISNA news agency that more than 10,000 graduates have emigrated over the years. He described this as an estimate, not an official count. The report said the university has more than 150,000 graduates but holds contact details for about 60,000 to 65,000 of them.

US Vice President JD Vance, speaking at a CBS News town hall on October 17, said the United States had won decisively against Iran's nuclear programme but needed guarantees that Tehran would not rebuild it. According to the report, Vance said "in some ways, we have won decisively, but the Iranians, the enemy gets a vote here." He also warned that attacks on shipping and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz threatened global energy supplies.

Irish Sun said Reuters reported on October 16 that Iran had continued exporting limited quantities of liquefied petroleum gas and jet fuel despite a US naval blockade. The report also said Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had threatened attacks on Iranian infrastructure, including energy facilities.

The report did not confirm how Akhlaqi's appointment will affect Iran's missile programme or its defence policy. It also did not provide an independent assessment of the claims made by Vance or Katz.

Background

Irish Sun said Iran's Islamic republic has survived the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in February, the loss of senior military commanders, war, economic crisis and public discontent. The article was cut off before it set out the full reasoning behind that assessment.

The UN Security Council measures cited in the report were adopted in 2006 and 2007 in response to Iran's nuclear and missile activities. The report does not say whether Akhlaqi's appointment will change any of the sanctions that apply to him.