Iran's parliament has approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as the new defence minister after months of interim leadership. He replaces Majid Ebn al-Reza, who took on interim duties following the death of Aziz Nasirzadeh. Akhlaqi has extensive experience in Iran's defence industry, especially in aerospace and missile sectors, and is under US and EU sanctions. He aims to enhance military production and technology with greater cooperation from private companies.