Akhlaghi held a senior executive post within the ministry itself and earlier served as chief operating officer of the Aerospace Industries Organisation (Photo: ANI).
Akhlaghi most recently held a senior executive post within the ministry itself, and earlier served as chief operating officer of the Aerospace Industries Organisation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday nominated Mehrdad Akhlaghi as his pick to head the defence ministry, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Yemen’s pro-government Saba news agency, citing a military source, also reported that government forces have seized Mocha, a strategic port city west of Taiz province.
On the ground in Yemen, the army of the internationally recognised government says it has retaken the Dhubab district along with key positions close to Bab al-Mandeb. The announcement came one day after the army said it had begun a major offensive named “Yemen Dawn” against the Houthis. In September, the Iran-aligned group had made major gains along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast, capturing the strategic city and several Red Sea islands. Mocha has remained a central prize in the fighting between Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed government.
The Iranian Parliament is expected to review Akhlaghi’s proposed plans in the relevant committee before holding a confidence vote. The ministry has had no permanent leader since the beginning of the US-Iran war, when brigadier general Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed during the initial airstrikes.
Since then, a number of military commanders have led the ministry on a temporary basis.