Defence Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi pledged to rebuild Iran's military-industrial infrastructure, accelerate defense technology development, and expand private-sector cooperation

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An insider quoted by the Financial Times estimated that support among Iranian decision-makers for acquiring a nuclear bomb has surged from almost zero to over 50%.

Iranian officials and a growing political faction are demanding Tehran weaponize its nuclear enrichment program and withdraw from the NPT to establish a complete deterrent against future U.S.-Israeli attacks.

Hassan Ghashghavi, a spokesperson for Iran's parliament National Security Committee, stated that Iran's new Supreme Leader could issue a new ruling regarding nuclear weapons.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on October 19, 2026 that the war imposed by the United States and Israel, combined with an economic blockade, is the primary source of Middle East insecurity.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that floating goods in the Strait of Hormuz are state property and warned local fishermen against looting cargo.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Middle Eastern nations on October 19, 2026 to establish a regional security arrangement that operates without foreign military presence.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed the United States for insecurity and rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz during an October 19, 2026 press conference in Tehran.

Iran summoned German Ambassador Axel Dittmann on October 19, 2026 to protest what Tehran called baseless accusations by German officials.

Yorktown Institute senior fellow Shay Khatiri predicted that local separatist movements in Iran will likely multiply and consolidate power as the Iranian regime weakens.

Senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official Alireza Yousefi accused Berlin of trying to conceal involvement in American and Israeli military strikes against Iran.

Retired Iranian government employees staged protests in recent weeks after failing to receive their full pensions, according to local media reports.

Iranian cyber police official Col Javad Mokhtar Rezaei warned on October 19, 2026 that electronic devices salvaged from seawater suffer internal corrosion and hidden malfunctions.

The Iranian parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as defence minister on October 18, 2026, with 237 lawmakers voting in favor and 15 against out of 277 total votes cast

Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi replaces interim defense minister Majid Ebn-e Reza, who assumed leadership following the death of former Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh

Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi has worked in Iran's Defence Ministry for 42 years and has headed the Defence Industries Organization since 2013

Defence Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi warned that if United States forces drop a single bomb, United States troops will be evacuated horizontally from the region

Iranian Parliament has convened online since the start of the United States-Israel war on Iran on February 28, 2026

Mehrdad Akhlaghi told Iranian lawmakers in October 2026 that he met with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander-in-chief Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi to assess wartime military requirements

Iran's Defence Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik stated that Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi's appointment reflects Iran's strategy to expand offensive weapons, including missiles and drones

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, senior military authorities, and parliament's Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy approved Defence Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi's defence plans to rebuild Iran's military-industrial infrastructure