Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi? Meet Iran's new tech-focused defense minister in news amid US war, UN sanctions — Profile

Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, a veteran of Iran’s missile industry with ties to the Revolutionary Guards, was named Iran’s defense minister on Sunday. Ketabchi took over the key post after his predecessor, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was killed in a war with the United States and Israel on February 28. According to Iran International, Majid Ebn al-Reza has been serving as acting minister since Nasirzadeh’s death.

Iran’s parliament approved Achlaghi’s appointment as minister of defense and armed forces logistics on Sunday, with 237 lawmakers voting in favor and 15 against his nomination out of 277 votes cast.

President Masoud Pezeshkian nominated Akhlaghi to the post on 5 October. Before the vote, lawmakers reviewed his proposed plans, while the parliamentary committees on national security and foreign policy, as well as industry and mining, presented their assessments.

Who is Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi?

“Architect of Guards” missiles

In its profile of Akhlaghi, Iran International described Iran’s new defense minister as the “architect of the Guard Missiles”.

Ketabchi is said to have been born on September 10, 1958 in Rasht, northern Iran.

The report claimed that Akhlaghi, unlike several previous defense ministers who rose through military command ranks, had built his career in Iran’s arms factory, overseeing industrial organizations involved in missile production, aerospace technology and military procurement.

Education of Akhlaghi Ketabchi

Akhlaghi studied chemical engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology, according to Iran International.

He later earned a master’s degree in strategic management from Malek Ashtar University of Technology, an institution affiliated with the Ministry of Defense.

Career of Akhlaghi Ketabchi

Education Akhlaghi Ketabchi entered the Iranian defense industry in the early 1980s. According to Iranian state media, he spent more than four decades in technical, industrial and managerial positions.

Much of his career has involved “a significant component of Iran’s missile capabilities” — solid-fuel missile propulsion systems — which allow missiles to remain stored for longer periods of time and reduce preparation time before launch.

He also participated in the management of industrial facilities associated with the development of ballistic missiles.

Akhlaghi previously headed the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group, a subsidiary of the Aerospace Industries Organization involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program. In November 2014, Akhlaghi was appointed CEO of the organization.

He later became the head of the Defense Industries Organization, which manufactures conventional weapons and supplies military equipment to the Iranian armed forces.

Akhlaghi’s role in the Fateh-110 missile project

Akhlaghi worked closely with Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the founder of the Revolutionary Guards’ missile program, who is widely known as the father of Iran’s ballistic missile program, Iran International said.

Moghaddam oversaw the development of the Revolutionary Guards’ missile arsenal before he was killed in November 2011 in an explosion at a military facility near Tehran.

Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, citing The Eternal Man, a biography by Masoumeh Sepehri, said Akhlaghi approved purchases of $10 million worth of equipment and manufacturing facilities for the Fateh-110 missile despite uncertainty over whether the project would succeed.

Sanctions against Akhlaghi Ketabchi

Akhlaghi Ketabchi’s name has appeared on international sanctions lists since 2007, reflecting his long-term involvement in institutions central to Iran’s ballistic missile program, Iran International said.

The UN Security Council included him in Resolution 1747 adopted on 24 March 2007, which identified him as the head of the Shahid Bagheri industrial group.

The group has previously been sanctioned for its involvement in Iran’s ballistic missile program.

His name was also placed on UN sanctions lists following the reimposition of international sanctions in September 2025.

The U.S. Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on Akhlaghi in 2008. The US State Department identified him as a high-ranking figure in industrial operations related to missiles and described his involvement in negotiations to purchase equipment for the missile industry.

In 2020, the first Trump administration sanctioned him in connection with his position as director of the Defense Industries Organization.

Britain also imposed sanctions on him in 2023 citing his involvement in activities related to the development of systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Akhlaghi was also sanctioned by the European Union, which identified his leadership roles within the Defense Industries Organization and the Aerospace Industries Organization.

Iran ready to face ‘mother of all bombs’

Newly appointed Iranian Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi has warned US President Donald Trump against launching further attacks on Iran. He said Tehran had taken all necessary measures to counter the “Mother of All Bombs” and was confident of its military preparedness.

“We have taken all the necessary measures to face the ‘Mother of all bombs’ and we believe in our preparations. We are carrying out our duties with full confidence,” Akhlaghi said, as reported by Press TV.

Warning Trump against further escalation, he said, according to ANI, “Trump should focus on getting his forces out of the region safely. If he drops a bomb, he should consider how many of his troops may have to be carried away in body bags. If he follows through on his threats, he will have to face the consequences.”

In a speech to parliament ahead of the vote, he said: “If the US-Zionist enemy gets it wrong again, the reaction of the Iranian people and the fighters of Islam will be surprising and large-scale.