New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, a veteran of Iran's missile industry with ties to the Revolutionary Guards, was appointed as Iran's defense minister on Sunday. Ketabchi took over the key post after his predecessor, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was killed in the war with the United States and Israel on February 28. Since Nasirzadeh's death, Majid Ebn al-Reza has served as the acting minister, according to Iran International.

Iran's Parliament approved Akhlaghi's appointment as Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics on Sunday, with 237 lawmakers voting in favour and 15 against his nomination, out of 277 votes cast.

President Masoud Pezeshkian had nominated Akhlaghi for the position on October 5. Before the vote, lawmakers rev...