Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian “in a letter, introduced Mehrdad Akhlaghi Shekarchi to Parliament to take up the post of defense minister and armed forces logistics,” Sasan Valizadeh, a presidential advisor, said on Monday, as cited by semi-official Mehr News Agency.
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A parliamentary session for a vote of confidence in Akhlaghi is set to be held soon following a review by relevant committees, Valizadeh added.
Akhlaghi, a senior Iranian defense official, has served as head of Iran’s Defense Industries Organization (DIO) and Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO).
The two organizations are major components of Iran’s defense-industrial system, with activities focused on missile development and the production of defense equipment.
The nominated minister was also sanctioned by the US in 2020 over his alleged links to Iran’s arms-related activities, while the UK sanctioned him in 2023 over his alleged involvement in Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities.
He was also designated by the UN in 2007 over his alleged involvement in nuclear and ballistic missile activities.
The former Iranian defense minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 27, along with the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since the US-Israel war with Iran started in late February, many top Iranian leaders and officials have been killed.
Iranian and US negotiating teams have been holding talks through mediators since late September’s UN General Assembly event in New York, in an effort to pave the way for further negotiations.
