Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said the Israeli military had killed Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. Iran had not officially confirmed his death when the claim was reported on March 26.
Katz made the announcement during a security assessment with military officials, The Times of Israel reported. He described Tangsiri as directly responsible for mining operations and for obstructing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli officials said he was targeted in the port city of Bandar Abbas while meeting senior IRGC Navy commanders.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the operation in a video message. “Last night, we eliminated the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy,” he said. “This individual has a great deal of blood on his hands, and he was also responsible for leading the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”
The man behind the closure
The Israel Defense Forces said Tangsiri had played a central role over the years in attacks on oil tankers and commercial vessels, and had repeatedly threatened freedom of navigation through the strait. According to The New York Times, he was the latest senior Iranian military figure hit in Israel’s month-long bombardment of Iran.
He led Iran’s effort to shut the strait to global shipping. The IRGC closed it days after the US and Israel opened their offensive in late February, and the strait handles nearly 20% of global oil shipments. The shutdown unsettled energy markets and drove up the financial and strategic costs of the campaign for Washington and Israel.
The US Treasury, which sanctioned him in 2019 and again in 2023, said Tangsiri also oversaw the IRGC Navy’s drone and cruise missile testing programmes. He chaired the board of a company that produces and tests naval drones for Iran. Attack drones have been part of how Iran regulates movement through the waterway.
A louder public voice
In recent weeks, Tangsiri had become an outspoken presence online. On his X account he posted updates on vessels denied passage through the strait, warned about US-linked oil infrastructure, and cautioned Washington against striking Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed him to lead the IRGC Navy in 2018. He was known for hardline statements about Iranian dominance over the strait. Khamenei himself was killed in an airstrike on the opening day of the US-Israeli campaign in late February.
One more detail from The Times of Israel: Israel removed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf from its target list after Pakistan asked that they be spared, saying Washington should hold off while diplomacy and possible peace talks continue.
