Mohammad Reza Ashtiani

Mohammad Reza Ashtiani served as Minister of Defense under Ebrahim Raisi from 2021 to 2024. A senior military officer, he previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. He oversaw a period of accelerated missile and drone program development, including the April 2024 direct Iranian attack on Israel. He was replaced by Aziz Nasirzadeh under Masoud Pezeshkian.