On October 18, newly appointed Iranian Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi warned the United States against military escalation, stating that any deployment of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, known as the “mother of all bombs,” would result in American soldiers being carried out horizontally. The remarks follow reports that the U.S. military has drafted new plans targeting Iranian energy and nuclear infrastructure.
Parliamentary Approval and Defense Overhaul
The Iranian parliament approved Ketabchi’s nomination for defense minister with 237 votes in favor and 15 against. Ketabchi succeeds Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in February during joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.
Before his appointment, Ketabchi spent decades working within Iran’s defense industrial sector, holding senior roles in aerospace and missile programs. Addressing lawmakers, he outlined plans to expand military manufacturing output, scale up research, and restructure the defense ministry.
Direct Response to American Threats
Ketabchi directly addressed recent reporting from CNN, which stated that U.S. planners prepared options involving the GBU-43/B bomb for potential use around the time of the U.S. midterm elections. Weighing in on the weapon, cited as the largest non-nuclear explosive in the American arsenal, the new defense minister maintained that Tehran has prepared necessary countermeasures.
“If this enemy makes another strategic miscalculation, the heroic Iranian people will make a surprising and wide-ranging response,” Ketabchi told the assembly. “The U.S. president should focus on considering how to ensure American forces evacuate the region. If he drops a bomb, he will see how many U.S. soldiers are carried out horizontally.”
Broader Military Rebuttals
Other Iranian military officials echoed the warning. Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, criticized the terminology used by Washington, calling the naming convention of the heavy ordnance a typical display of a “barbaric civilization.” Meanwhile, Majid Ebn al-Reza warned that weapon sizing matters less than the broader consequences for American global standing, the economy, and domestic elections, adding that Iran’s missile capabilities have altered the strategic landscape.
| Official / Spokesperson | Affiliation | Core Stance on U.S. Threats |
|---|---|---|
| Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi | Ministry of Defense | Warned that U.S. strikes would result in heavy casualties for deployed American troops. |
| Hossein Mohebbi | Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps | Dismissed Washington’s nomenclature as a sign of a barbaric civilization. |
| Majid Ebn al-Reza | Ministry of Defense | Argued that Iran’s missile strength has shifted strategic realities. |
The debate over potential military strikes comes as regional tensions remain high following the earlier operational losses within Tehran’s security leadership, setting a tense tone for upcoming diplomatic and strategic maneuvers.
