Mehrdad Ahlaghi officially took office today as Iran's defense minister, Agence France-Presse reported. He replaces General Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed on February 28 in Israeli-American strikes on the first day of the war, BTA reports.
“Mehrdad Ahlaghi was appointed defense minister after a vote in parliament“, Iranian state television reported.
For the past nearly eight months, the post had been held temporarily by General Majid Ebnelreza of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He took over after the death of Nasirzadeh, who led the defense ministry from 2024 until his death. UN sanctions have been imposed against the new minister, Mehrdad Ahlaghi.