Mehrdad Akhlaghi, who is subject to United Nations sanctions, formally became Iran's defense minister on Sunday, replacing the man killed on the first day of the war in Israeli-US strikes at the end of February.
Mehrdad Akhlaghi © IFN
Mehrdad Akhlaghi, who is subject to United Nations sanctions, formally became Iran's defense minister on Sunday, replacing the man killed on the first day of the war in Israeli-US strikes at the end of February.
"Mehrdad Akhlaghi was appointed defense minister following a vote" in Parliament, Iranian state television reported.
The post had been held in an acting capacity for almost eight months by Majid Ebnelreza, a general in the Revolutionary Guards. He had served as deputy to the previous minister, General Aziz Nassirzadeh, who held the job from 2024 until he was killed on February 28.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday Egypt would take any measures necessary to defend Saudi Arabia if asked, amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom, and parliament announced an emergency session on Sunday.
Missiles struck Yemen's Aden International Airport on Friday, while a Saudi-led military coalition said it had intercepted a ballistic missile headed for the Red Sea city of Yanbu, a key Saudi oil hub that allows exports to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump said the US may have to target Pickaxe Mountain, a site linked to Iran's nuclear program, as he aims to ensure Tehran does not get a nuclear weapon.
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