Tehran:Iran's parliament has confirmed Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as the new minister of defense and armed forces logistics, following his nomination by President Masoud Pezeshkian.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, lawmakers voted on Sunday with 237 in favor and 15 against, out of 277 members present, to endorse Ketabchi's appointment.

Ketabchi, born in 1958 in Rasht, has held significant roles in Iran's defense sector, including leading the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group and serving as managing director of the Aerospace Industries Organization. President Pezeshkian proposed Ketabchi's candidacy on October 5, 2026, seeking parliamentary approval.

He replaces Brigadier General Majid Ibn al-Reza, who assumed the role of acting defense minister after the assassination of Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and several military officials in a US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran on February 28, marking the beginning of the war against Iran.