Iran names Mehrdad Akhlaqi Kebatchi defense minister, eight months after his predecessor was killed in the war

Iran has had a new defense minister since Sunday, Mehrdad Akhlaqi Kebatchi, appointed eight months after the killing of his predecessor, General Aziz Nassirzadeh. He was killed on February 28, the first day of the war in the Middle East.

The Iranian parliament granted Mehrdad Akhlaqi a vote of confidence, a mandatory step in the Islamic Republic’s political system. The legislature also has the power to dismiss ministers from office.

Aged 68, Akhlaqi has no military training, but worked for 42 years at the Ministry of Defense. Since 2013, he has headed the Defense Industries Organization, the institution responsible for designing and manufacturing military equipment.

The new minister has been under UN sanctions since 2007 in connection with Iran’s ballistic and nuclear programs. During the interim period, the Defense portfolio was held by General Majid Ebnelreza, the former minister’s deputy and a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The appointment comes amid persistent tensions between Tehran, the United States and Israel.