# Iranian parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as defense minister

https://mins.news/en/item/105640

- CGTN, 2026-10-18 08:02 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-10-18/news-1RlgLjzVbNK/p.html?UTM_Source=cgtn&UTM_Medium=rss&UTM_Campaign=World

> Iran’s parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as defense minister on Sunday, ending months of interim leadership at the ministry. A longtime defense-industry official with senior roles in aerospace and missiles, Ketabchi is subject to US and EU sanctions over his work in the sector.

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- [Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi, Iran’s new tech-focused defence minister?](https://mins.news/en/item/105092) — Al Jazeera, 2026-10-18
- [Iran's parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaqi as defence minister](https://mins.news/en/item/104977) — Reuters, 2026-10-18
