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

From the articleIran parliament approves new defense minister: state mediaAlso in Iran's parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaqi as minister of defence, Iran's parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaghi as defense minister after predecessor killed by Israel, Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi, Iran’s new tech-focused defence minister?, Iran parliament approves new defence minister, Iran's parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaqi as minister of defence | Reuters