Lawmakers voted in favor of Ketabchi’s appointment during a session on Sunday, with 237 votes in favor and 15 against, out of 277 members present.
Born in 1958 in the northern city of Rasht, Ketabchi is an executive in Iran’s defense industries. His previous positions include heading the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group and serving as managing director of the Aerospace Industries Organization.
President Pezeshkian nominated Ketabchi for the post on October 5, 2026, and submitted his name to parliament for a vote of confidence.
Ketabchi succeeds Brigadier General Majid Ibn al-Reza, who had served as acting defense minister since February 28, when then-Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and several other military officials were assassinated in a US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran on the first day of the war against Iran.
