ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s newly appointed Defense Minister Mehrdad Ketabchi on Sunday warned US President Donald Trump that any renewed military strikes against Iran would result in American casualties, shortly after parliament approved his appointment.
Ketabchi, who was nominated by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in early October, had maintained a relatively low public profile despite decades of involvement in Iran’s missile industry. He has been sanctioned by the United States, the United Nations and the European Union over his role in the country's missile program.
Speaking briefly to Iran’s Student News Network (SNN) following his appointment, Ketabchi warned Trump to focus on ensuring the safe withdrawal of US personnel from the region.
“Drop a bomb and see how many people you have to carry out… before leaving,” he said.
Ketabchi secured 237 votes in favor out of 277 lawmakers who participated in the confidence vote, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.
Following the vote, Pezeshkian described the appointment as a “strong and compelling message to the world,” saying in a post on X that “parliament’s support for the government conveyed a message of unity, solidarity, and firm backing for the armed forces.”
In remarks following his appointment, Ketabchi said the United States was facing a strategic deadlock, warning that “changes are taking place in the nature of threats, the logic of military power, the technological environment, and the regional order.”
The new minister also said Iran had further developed and modernized its defense capabilities since the 12-day war, stressing the need to strengthen military readiness and adapt to evolving security threats.
Iran’s missile program demonstrated resilience during both the 12-day and 40-day wars, despite sustained US and Israeli bombardment that targeted the country's military infrastructure and senior commanders.
Former Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed in US and Israeli strikes in early February. Majid Ebn al-Reza had served as acting defense minister since his death.
Since his nomination, Ketabchi has pledged to continue his predecessor’s policies. During a visit to Nasirzadeh’s home, he vowed to pursue the late minister’s defense program “with full force,” according to Defa Press, an Iranian military news outlet.
Ketabchi previously headed the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group (SBIG), an organization involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program. He spent decades working in the country's missile industry alongside senior military and technical experts, many of whom were killed in US and Israeli strikes.
The United Nations placed Ketabchi on its sanctions list in 2007 over his involvement in Iran’s missile program. The US Treasury Department sanctioned him in July 2008 under an executive order targeting individuals involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
At the time, the Treasury said Ketabchi played a key role in SBIG’s day-to-day operations and negotiated equipment purchases for the organization.
The European Union has also imposed sanctions on him.
