Aziz Nasirzadeh, an Iranian military officer, died on February 28, 2026, at the age of 62.
He served as Iran’s minister of defence from 2024 to 2026, after previously holding the post of deputy chief of staff for the Iranian Armed Forces from September 2021 to August 2024. He was commander of the Iranian Air Force from August 2018 to September 2021.
Born in Sarab, East Azerbaijan, Iran, in 1964, Nasirzadeh was a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War and began his military career as a certified F-14 pilot.
Aziz Nasirzadeh (Persian: عزیز نصیرزاده; 1964 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian military officer who served as the Minister of Defence of Iran from 2024 to 2026. He previously served as the Deputy of Chief of Staff for the Iranian Armed Forces from September 2021 to August 2024, and was the commander of the Iranian Air Force (IRIAF) from August 2018 to September 2021, prior to that position. A veteran of the Iran–Iraq War, he graduated as a certified F-14 pilot, but never saw any combat. On 28 February 2026, the Israel Defense Forces announced that he had been killed during the 2026 Iran war.