Iran warns of broad response to US, Israel
Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran would respond “broadly and unexpectedly” if the United States and Israel made “another miscalculation,” Iran’s newly approved Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi warned on Sunday.
In his first remarks, Akhlaghi said “the enemy would likely not dare to attack Iran,” holding the US government and its allies responsible for the regional and international consequences of any potential escalation.
Iran’s parliament approved Akhlaghi as minister of defense and armed forces support on Sunday after reviewing his ministerial program and confirming his qualifications.
According to Khaneh Mellat, the Iranian parliament’s news agency, 277 lawmakers participated in the vote, held during an online session. Akhlaghi received 237 votes in favor and 15 against, with no abstentions recorded.
Akhlaghi said expanding the role of Iran’s domestic industrial network in producing defense products was no longer an option but a necessity to meet existing commitments.
He explained that defense products classified as “secret and above” would be manufactured within the secure facilities of the Defense Ministry, while equipment classified as “top secret and below” would be produced through the national industrial network.
Akhlaghi also said he had been on Iran’s enemies’ assassination lists for 35 years, identifying strengthening the “Resistance Front,” a network of allied groups in the region, as one of the main pillars of his ministerial program.
