Rex Tillerson is out of the State Department following a surprise move by Donald Trump.
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is taking over as Secretary of State.
According to the American president in a post on Twitter, in which he thanked Tillerson for his services, Gina Haspel is taking over as the new head of the CIA, marking the first time that a woman takes the reins of the American intelligence service.
Earlier, the Washington Post, citing White House sources, reported that the US president had fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and that he intended to replace him with CIA chief Mike Pompeo.
Conflicts
Since Tillerson took office in February 2017, there have been frequent mixed messages from the White House and the State Department. Clashes between the president and the foreign minister came amid major international crises, including a possible nuclear confrontation with North Korea.
Tensions between the president and his top diplomat reached a climax when Tillerson, 65, publicly distanced himself from the president's provocative response to violence during the racist outbreak in Charlottesville, Virginia last summer.
But there have been many other conflicts.
The political rift escalated when Trump said in a post in October that Tillerson was "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with North Korea to end its nuclear and missile programs.
The president wrote: "Save your energy, Rex, we will do what needs to be done!"
In October, NBC News reported that Tillerson had already come close to resigning this summer, but was asked to stay in office until the end of the year.
Who is Mike Pompeo?
Mike Pompeo, a graduate of Harvard, has spoken out against abortion, the ObamaCare Health Plan, the closure of Guantanamo and the labeling of genetically modified products.
On the other hand, he strongly supports the NSA surveillance programs and considers Edward Snowden "a traitor to the nation that should be executed."
He is president of Sentry International, which his website describes as an "energy company active in the oil sector."
He has previously stated about Russia:
"It is a political decision to take action against Russia, but it is necessary for the service to provide those who draw up policy with accurate information and insightful analysis of Russian activities."