Aziz Nasirzadeh
{{short description|Iranian general (born 1965)}}
{{Infobox office holder
| honorific_prefix = Amir
| name = Aziz Nasirzadeh
| native_name = {{nobold|عزیز نصیرزاده}}
| native_name_lang = fa
| image = Aziz Nasirzadeh in 2024 (1).jpg
| caption = Nasirzadeh in 2024
| office = Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics
| president = Masoud Pezeshkian
| term_start = 21 August 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1965}}
| birth_place = Sarab, East Azerbaijan, Imperial State of Iran
| allegiance = {{flag|Iran}}
| branch = {{air force|Iran}}
| serviceyears = 1982–present
| rank = Brigadier General
| commands = Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
| battles = * Iran–Iraq War
}}
Aziz Nasirzadeh ({{langx|fa|عزیز نصیرزاده}}; born 1965) is an Iranian military officer and the Iranian Minister of Defense since August 2024. He was Deputy of Chief of Staff for the Iranian Armed Forces from September 2021 to 2024, and the commander of the Iranian Air Force (IRIAF) from August 2018 to September 2021.{{cite web|url= https://www.newsweek.com/iranian-air-force-ready-eliminate-israel-commander-says-tensions-rise-over-1298934?amp=1 |title= IRANIAN AIR FORCE READY TO 'ELIMINATE ISRAEL,' COMMANDER SAYS, AS TENSIONS RISE OVER SYRIA AIRSTRIKES |publisher= Newsweek |date=21 January 2019|accessdate=}} A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, he graduated as a certified F-14 pilot, but never saw any combat.{{cite web|url= https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-appoints-nasirzadeh-as-chief-of-country-s-air-force/29443225.html |title= Iran Appoints Nasirzadeh As Chief Of Country's Air Force |publisher= Radio Farda |accessdate=}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-19 |title=Leader appoints Brig. Gen. Nasirzadeh as Dep. Chief of Staff |url=https://en.mehrnews.com/news/178812/Leader-appoints-Brig-Gen-Nasirzadeh-as-Dep-Chief-of-Staff |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Mehr News Agency |language=en}}{{Cite web |agency=AP |title=Former F-14 pilot named new Iran air force chief |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/former-f-14-pilot-named-new-iran-air-force-chief/ |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Times of Israel |language=en-US}}
Following June 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran, several opposition and foreign media outlets claimed that Nasirzadeh had been assassinated in the attacks targeting the Iranian Ministry of Defence headquarters in Tehran. However, pro-government journalist Dara Nassari said that "Amir Nasirzadeh is in full health and continues to serve the honorable people of Iran."{{cite web |date=15 June 2025 |title=تکذیب ترور وزیر دفاع؛ امیر نصیرزاده در سلامت کامل است |trans-title=Reports of Defense Minister's assassination refuted; Amir Nasirzadeh is safe and in good health |url=https://7sobh.com/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-12/601701-%D8%AA%DA%A9%D8%B0%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D9%86%D8%B5%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA |access-date=15 June 2025 |website=Haft-e Sobh |language=fa}}{{Cite web |date=2025-06-15 |title=تکذیب شایعه ترور وزیر دفاع |trans-title=Assassination rumors about the Defense Minister refuted |url=https://fararu.com/fa/news/875658/%D8%AA%DA%A9%D8%B0%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%B4%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B9%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Fararu |language=fa}}
Military career
Nasirzadeh began his military career as an F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot at the end of the Iran-Iraq War, though he never saw any combat. Over the years, he served in key positions in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force such as chief of staff and acting commander before his appointment as full commander in 2018 to 2021.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-19 |title=Khamenei Reshuffles Air Force And General Staff Commanders |url=https://old.iranintl.com/en/iran/khamenei-reshuffles-air-force-and-general-staff-commanders |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Iran International |language=en}}
From September 2021 to 2024 Nasirzadeh was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a position that reflects significant strategic responsibility across Iran’s entire military establishment.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-19 |title=Khamenei Reshuffles Air Force And General Staff Commanders |url=https://old.iranintl.com/en/iran/khamenei-reshuffles-air-force-and-general-staff-commanders |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Iran International |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Iran’s Ex-Minister Appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff - Politics news |url=https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2024/08/28/3149688/iran-s-ex-minister-appointed-as-deputy-chief-of-staff |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Tasnim News Agency |language=en}} In August 2024 he was appointed the Iranian Minister of Defense.
Nasirzadeh is involved in national-level security planning, including chairing Iran’s National Organization for Passive Defense, responsible for safeguarding Iran’s critical civilian, military, and nuclear infrastructure from potential U.S. or Israeli strikes. His international security engagements include defense cooperation with Armenia and joint military exercises with Azerbaijan, aimed at countering Israeli, Turkish, and Western influence in the South Caucasus.{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=http://dev-isw.bivings.com/ |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
Following June 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran, several opposition and foreign media outlets claimed that Nasirzadeh had been assassinated in the attacks targeting the Iranian Ministry of Defence headquarters in Tehran. However, pro-government journalist Dara Nassari said that "Amir Nasirzadeh is in full health and continues to serve the honorable people of Iran."{{cite web |date=15 June 2025 |title=تکذیب ترور وزیر دفاع؛ امیر نصیرزاده در سلامت کامل است |trans-title=Reports of Defense Minister's assassination refuted; Amir Nasirzadeh is safe and in good health |url=https://7sobh.com/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-12/601701-%D8%AA%DA%A9%D8%B0%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D9%86%D8%B5%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA |access-date=15 June 2025 |website=Haft-e Sobh |language=fa}}{{Cite web |date=2025-06-15 |title=تکذیب شایعه ترور وزیر دفاع |trans-title=Assassination rumors about the Defense Minister refuted |url=https://fararu.com/fa/news/875658/%D8%AA%DA%A9%D8%B0%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D8%B4%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B9%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Fararu |language=fa}}
Views
= Israel =
Nasirzadeh supports the ideology of "Resistance", stating it is a deep-rooted belief system rather than a mere tactic. In 2024, he said that “Resistance will defeat Israel as it did in 2006”.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-14 |title=‘Resistance will defeat Israel as it did in 2006’: Iran DM |url=https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/504985/Resistance-will-defeat-Israel-as-it-did-in-2006-Iran-DM |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Tehran Times |language=en}} In a public statement, he warned that “any malicious action by the Zionist regime will result in its own destruction”, assuring that Iran is prepared to face any scenario. In August 2023, he said "Our current and next generations are impatiently and wholeheartedly waiting to fight the Zionist regime and wipe it off the Earth".{{Cite web |agency=AP |title=Iran nominates ex-Air Force chief as defense minister |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/iran-nominates-ex-air-force-chief-as-defense-minister/ |access-date=2025-06-08 |website=Times of Israel |language=en-US}}
= United States =
In June 2025, referring to a possible failure in the 2025 United States–Iran negotiations, Nasirzadeh stated, "If a conflict is imposed on us... all US bases are within our reach, and we will boldly target them in host countries."{{Cite news |date=2025-06-11 |title=Iran threatens to strike US bases in region if military conflict arises |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-threatens-us-bases-region-if-military-conflict-arises-2025-06-11/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |work=Reuters |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Commons}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani}}
{{s-ttl|title=Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics|years=21 August 2024}}
{{s-aft|after=Incumbent}}
|-
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani}}
{{s-ttl|title=Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces|years=2021–}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-bef|before=Hassan Shahsafi}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Air Force|years=2018–2021}}
{{s-aft|after=Hamid Vahedi}}
{{s-end}}
{{Defense and armed forces logistics ministers of Iran}}
{{NAHAJA Commanders}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasirzadeh, Aziz}}
Category:Islamic Republic of Iran Army brigadier generals
Category:Commanders of Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Category:Islamic Republic of Iran Army personnel of the Iran–Iraq War