Iran’s New Defense Chief Warns Trump: ‘One Bomb, How Many of Your Men Will Come Back in Body Bags?

TEHRAN, Oct 18: Iran’s parliament on Sunday approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as the country’s new defense minister, as he warned US President Donald Trump against launching another attack and urged Washington to focus on ensuring the safe withdrawal of its personnel from the region.

Akhlaghi secured 237 votes in favour and 15 against, with no abstentions, according to the reported parliamentary vote. The figures account for 252 votes, although the report stated that 277 votes were cast.

A longtime Defense Ministry official with decades of experience in Iran’s military-industrial sector, Akhlaghi was nominated by President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier this month.

His appointment fills a position that had been held on an acting basis since former defense minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran at the beginning of the 40-day war in February.

Following parliamentary approval, Akhlaghi issued a warning to Trump against any renewed US military action, saying Washington should consider the safety of its personnel in the region.

“Trump should be thinking about getting his people out of the region safely,” Akhlaghi said on Sunday.

“If he drops one bomb, he should see how many of his people he will have to carry out horizontally,” he added, referring to the potential casualties of a new military confrontation.

His remarks came amid heightened tensions and renewed threats of possible military action against Iran.

Separately, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the country’s armed forces had prepared a new operational plan to respond to any renewed attack.

“The repeated threats by American and Zionist officials in recent days do not change the reality on the ground,” Rezaei wrote on X.

“Iran’s armed forces have prepared a plan for any new adventure that is more devastating than the 12-day and 40-day wars,” he said.

Rezaei added that Iran’s new operational plan “will not proceed according to the rules they know,” without disclosing further details about its capabilities or intended operations.

The statements from Iran’s newly approved defense minister and the security council official signal Tehran’s continued readiness to respond militarily to any fresh attack, while underscoring the risk of further escalation between Iran, the United States and Israel.

The claims about Iran’s military preparations and the potential scale of a future response have not been independently verified.