Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi, Iran’s new tech-focused defence minister?

Akhlaghi’s acquisition centres connected ballistic missiles, aerospace exertion and defence-industrial production.

Tehran, Iran – Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi has been appointed Iran’s defence curate astatine a clip erstwhile the war with the United States is expected to escalate.

The 68-year-old was approved connected Sunday by parliament, which has convened online since the commencement of the US-Israel warfare connected Iran connected February 28, to presume enactment of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. In total, 237 lawmakers voted successful favour of Akhlaghi’s assignment and 15 against.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Can Yemen’s authorities forces prolong their violative against the Houthis?
• list 2 of 3US and Iran some assertion power of Strait of Hormuz amid attacks connected vessels
• list 3 of 3Why Iran-US negotiations support failing

Former Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed on with a ample fig of different elder figures, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, connected the opening time of the war.

The presumption was filled temporarily by Majid Ebn-e Reza, who volition present go Akhlaghi’s deputy.

Akhlaghi volition beryllium liable for rebuilding and expanding Iran’s military-industrial infrastructure, which has been heavy targeted by the US and Israel.

The caller minister’s defence plans were approved earlier by elder subject authorities, President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament’s Commission connected National Security and Foreign Policy.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran volition not beryllium the instigator of aggression against immoderate state but volition support the territorial integrity of the state powerfully and to the decease against immoderate aggression,” Pezeshkian said.

Iranian Zolfaghar missiles are placed successful beforehand of a billboard picturing Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei astatine Baharestan Square successful downtown Tehran, Iran [File: EPA]

The president said Akhlaghi has much than 42 years of acquisition successful the Defence Ministry and related organisations.

His main expertise is successful ballistic missiles, solid-fuel propulsion, aerospace exertion and military-industrial production, according to authorities media.

Previously, helium served arsenic the caput of the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group, the Aerospace Industries Organization and the Defence Industries Organization. Akhlaghi and these entities are each taxable to sanctions by the US. He is besides nether United Nations sanctions.

He has been associated with processing respective rocket types and related weapons-development projects implicit the past decades, according to Tasnim, a paper linked with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),

Akhlaghi reportedly played a relation successful expanding the large Sejjil and Zolfaghar household of Iranian ballistic missiles arsenic good arsenic precision-guided weapons, specified arsenic the Almas missiles and Yasin guided bombs.

He is besides said to person expertise successful abstraction launchers, probe rockets and infrastructure associated with the Imam Khomeini Space Center successful Semnan. These person each been captious elements successful Iran’s wars against Israel and the US.

This month, Iran’s Defence Ministry spokesman, Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, told reporters that Akhlaghi’s information reflected Iran’s request to summation the quantity and prime of strategical weapons, peculiarly missiles and drones.

“Offensive arms are being actively improved,” the spokesperson said.

The US has repeatedly claimed that it has destroyed astir of Iran’s military-industrial capacities, but Tehran has maintained it continues to person considerable violative and antiaircraft capabilities extracurricular the scope of US and Israeli bombs. These weapons person been upgraded based connected Iran’s caller warfare experience, it has insisted.

Akhlaghi told members of parliament this period that helium had met with elder subject commanders, including the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, to make a amended knowing of their requirements during and aft the war.

His priorities arsenic defence curate would beryllium faster military-industrial development, aerial defences, incorporation of emerging technologies utilizing authorities and backstage assemblage firms, improvements successful armed-forces payment and improvement of planetary subject cooperation, according to reports.

In his archetypal comments arsenic defence curate connected Sunday, Akhlaghi taunted the medication of US President Donald Trump, which this period threatened to usage the “mother of each bombs” connected Iran’s atomic and vigor infrastructure.

“We person made preparations and proceed our enactment with easiness of mind,” helium told reporters. “The US president indispensable deliberation of getting his forces retired of our portion successful 1 piece. If helium drops 1 bomb, helium indispensable spot however galore of his troops helium volition person to evacuate horizontally.”