Iranian Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi has pledged to strengthen the country’s military preparedness and defensive capabilities through new technologies, saying Tehran’s response to repeated threats would be measured in enhanced readiness rather than rhetoric.
“I dedicated my first working hour to meeting the demands of the IRGC Aerospace Force and the Army’s Air Defense,” Akhlaghi wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
Akhlaghi noted Iran’s response to repeated threats would not be limited to rhetoric but would focus on strengthening military preparedness and defensive capabilities.
“For us, responding to repeated threats is not a war of words; it is turning threats into greater readiness and more effective defensive power,” he said.
The minister added that Iran was pursuing its objectives through the development of new technologies. “We eat dirt, but we don’t give an inch of soil,” Akhlaghi declared.
The Iranian Parliament (Majlis) approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, a veteran engineer with deep experience in Iran’s missile industry, as the country’s new Minister of Defense, with 237 votes in favor, 15 against, and no abstentions out of 277 votes cast.
Akhlaghi succeeds Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was martyred in US-Israeli attacks on Tehran at the beginning of the 40-day aggression, after which Pezeshkian appointed Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Ibn al-Reza as acting defense minister.
In remarks to parliament before the vote, Akhlaghi emphasized that Iran would deliver a strong response if its adversaries launched another attack against the country.
“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.
Akhlaghi also warned that Washington and its allies would bear responsibility for the regional and international consequences of any renewed aggression against Iran.
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