Revolutionary Guards general Majid Ebnelreza, who had been appointed just one day earlier as Iran’s acting Minister of Defense, was killed in ongoing Israeli‑U.S. military strikes, according to Israeli Channel 12.

The announcement of his death marks another dramatic and deadly blow to Iran’s military leadership amid the intensifying conflict between Tehran and forces representing the United States and Israel. These strikes have so far devastated Iran’s upper echelons of defense officials, worsening an already volatile regional crisis.

Ebnelreza had been named acting minister on March 2, 2026, by Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian after the previous defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was killed in a joint U.S.–Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026, an operation that also targeted other senior Iranian leaders and deepened the country’s leadership vacuum. Nasirzadeh’s death underscored how swiftly the conflict has claimed the lives of top military officials and reshaped the structure of Iran’s defense apparatus.

The reported killing of Ebnelreza so soon after his appointment reflects the ferocity and precision of the strikes, which have repeatedly hit strategic targets across Iran. Analysts now warn that removing successive defense chiefs in rapid succession could further destabilize Iran’s command and control at a critical moment in the broader Middle East conflict, raising questions about how Tehran will sustain its defense strategy under relentless pressure.