IRAN NAMES MISSILE VETERAN AS DEFENSE MINISTER
Iran appointed Mehrdad Akhlaghi, a longtime missile program official, as its new defense minister, according to the October 19 ISW Iran Update. ISW assesses this appointment indicates the regime is prioritizing reconstitution of its missile program, with Akhlaghi stating Iran will rebuild its defense industrial base in less vulnerable areas.
AT A GLANCE
NEW | UKRAINE | Ukrainian forces struck Leningrad Oblast infrastructure in their largest attack on the region since 2022, per ISW.
NEW | IRAN | Houthis reportedly adopted new tactics to overwhelm Saudi air defenses while Iran named a missile-focused defense minister.
NEW | TAIWAN | Taiwan enforced anti-PRC supply chain rules as the US and Japan deployed anti-ship missiles near Yonaguni Island.
CARRIED FORWARD, SEP 30 | KOREA | No new ISW Korea report; South Korea had not detailed corresponding measures after the DMZ mine incident.
WHY IRAN'S MISSILE MINISTER PICK MATTERS
Iran's appointment of Mehrdad Akhlaghi as defense minister follows a career centered on ballistic missile development, including leadership of the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group and the Aerospace Industries Organization, per ISW's October 19 Iran Update.
ISW assesses the appointment signals Iran is prioritizing reconstitution of its missile program after recent setbacks. Akhlaghi stated the regime intends to rebuild its defense industrial base in locations less vulnerable to airstrikes, according to the update.
Separately, ISW reports the Houthis are adopting new tactics to bypass Saudi air defenses, including simultaneous munition launches and strikes on undefended areas, citing a senior US official speaking to the Wall Street Journal on October 18.
ISW assesses this reflects shared tactical learning across the Axis of Resistance rather than direct Iranian instruction, noting the Houthis have fought Saudi Arabia for over a decade and likely developed these methods independently, with IRGC and Hezbollah advisers present in Yemen.
OTHER SIGNALS
UKRAINE | LARGEST STRIKE ON LENINGRAD OBLAST SINCE 2022
ISW report of October 18 · new
Ukrainian forces conducted their largest strike against Russian digital, energy, and logistics infrastructure in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast since 2022, overnight October 17 to 18, according to the October 18 ISW report. Targets included a VK data center, a substation, an Ozon warehouse, and a bridge.
ISW assesses the wide target set highlights Russia's persistent air defense vulnerabilities and command and control problems. Separately, ISW notes Ukraine's access to Starshield for intercepting jet-powered drones remains restricted, with US officials saying expanded access is still under discussion, and Russia is reorganizing brigades into divisions.
TAIWAN | US, JAPAN DEPLOY MISSILES NEAR TAIWAN
ISW report of October 16 · new
The US Marine Corps and Japan's Self-Defense Force will deploy anti-ship missiles to Yonaguni Island, about 110 kilometers from Taiwan, during the Keen Sword exercise from October 19 to 29, according to the October 16 ISW update. This marks the first such US deployment to the island.
ISW assesses the deployment demonstrates the USMC's stand-in forces concept and could constrain PLA naval freedom of maneuver through regional chokepoints. Separately, Taiwan prosecuted two cases involving PRC-origin components and software in defense and government procurement, part of its ongoing red-free supply chain effort.
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