TEHRAN, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday appointed Seyed Majid Ebn Al-Reza as the caretaker of the country's Defense Ministry.

This file photo shows Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivering a speech in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2026. (File photo: Xinhua)

The announcement was made by Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy for communications at the Iranian president's office, in a post on social media platform X.

His appointment came following the killing of former Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh in the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday.

Prior to his appointment, Ebn Al-Reza served as deputy defense minister.

On Saturday morning, joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with some of the leader's family members, senior military commanders and civilians.

Iran responded through several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the Middle East.