Iran Confirms New Defense Chief, Who Vows ‘Surprising’ Response
The vote was 237 in favor and 15 against, with no abstentions, among 277 ballots cast in a session held by video conference. Lawmakers heard arguments from backers and opponents of Akhlaqi and reviewed his plans for the ministry before voting.
He succeeds Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in the first US-Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. Majid Ebn al-Reza had served as acting minister since then.
In his first remarks after winning approval, Akhlaqi said Iran had prepared countermeasures against a possible US use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, known as the “Mother of All Bombs.”
“We have taken the necessary measures to counter such an action and are continuing our work with confidence,” he told reporters.
He also cautioned that US President Donald Trump should worry about extracting American forces from the region safely.
“If he drops one bomb, he should see how many of his forces he will have to take out of the region horizontally,” he said, apparently alluding to potential US military casualties.
Akhlaqi claimed Iran’s preparations were among the reasons Washington had held off on using the bomb so far, adding that the situation would change if US threats became action.
Before the vote, he told lawmakers that Iran would mount a “surprising and extensive” response if the US and Israel attacked again.
“If the American-Zionist enemy once again makes a miscalculation, the response of the Iranian nation and the fighters of Islam will be surprising and extensive,” he said, adding that Washington and its allies would bear responsibility for any regional and international fallout.
Akhlaqi also said he had been on what he called his enemies’ “assassination list” for 35 years. He pledged to further strengthen what Iran calls the “resistance front.”
His stated priorities include expanding defense production across Iran’s industrial network, boosting research and reshaping the Defense Ministry’s structure to meet current security threats.
A longtime senior ministry official, Akhlaqi previously led Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization. He has been under US sanctions over his role in Iran’s missile-related activities.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
