America wants 'final commitment' from Iran not to rebuild its nuclear program
US Vice President J.D. Vance calls on Tehran to make a final commitment not to rebuild its nuclear program, while the Iranian parliament appoints Mehrdad Akhlaghi-Khajehji as defense minister, succeeding Aziz Nasirzadeh.
Translated by Qiyas from الوسط — Original source
US Vice President J.D. Vance said that Iran, which he described as the “biggest state sponsor of terrorism,” must not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, stressing that doing so would be a mistake because Tehran could use it to kill millions of civilians. During an open forum on CBS, Vance clarified, “Of course, we have destroyed Iran’s nuclear program, and what we are now working on is securing a final commitment from Tehran not to rebuild its nuclear program, and ensuring that there is no global energy supply crisis.”
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that the parliament approved the appointment of Mehrdad Akhlaghi-Ketabi as defense minister, eight months after his predecessor, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was killed at the outset of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Majid Ibn al-Rida had been running the Ministry of Defense since March 2, when he was appointed acting minister by Pezeshkian following Nasirzadeh’s death.
Akhlaghi-Ketabi is a veteran official in the Ministry of Defense with close ties to Iran’s missile and space industries. In 2007, the UN Security Council designated him as head of the “Baqeri Industrial Group,” an entity affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Defense and linked to its ballistic missile program.
