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Israel announces killing of IRGC navy commander
Israel's defence minister declared on Thursday that Alireza Tangsiri, the head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) navy, had been killed in an operation. Israel holds Tangsiri directly responsible for the near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint.
Blockade's impact on global energy markets
Since late February, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz-through which approximately 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically flows-has plummeted by 95%. The disruption has driven oil prices sharply higher, affecting consumers worldwide, including in the United States and Israel.
Tangsiri, who assumed command of the IRGC navy in 2018, had been vocal about the blockade in recent weeks. An X account attributed to him and cited by Iranian media stated that vessels linked to "aggressors against Iran" were barred from passage.
Israel and US frame killing as strategic victory
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described Tangsiri as "directly responsible for the terrorist act of bombing and blocking the Strait of Hormuz" and confirmed his death. Katz also reported that other senior IRGC navy officials were killed in the same operation, though he did not specify how many.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized Tangsiri as a figure with "a great deal of blood on his hands" and framed the assassination as evidence of cooperation between Israel and the United States in pursuing the war's objectives.
"This is yet another example of the cooperation between us and our friend, the United States, toward the common goal of achieving the objectives of the war."
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister
US endorses killing, urges IRGC members to defect
US Central Command issued a statement calling Tangsiri's death a step toward making the region safer. The command asserted that the IRGC navy is now "on an irreversible decline" and urged active IRGC personnel to abandon their posts to avoid "unnecessary injury or death."
Israel's military separately announced on X that Behnam Rezaei, the head of the IRGC Navy's intelligence directorate, was also "eliminated" in the operation.
Iran silent as Israel escalates targeted killings
Iran has not yet responded to the claims. Since the war's onset on February 28, Israel has conducted multiple high-profile assassinations of Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani.
Tangsiri, who had served as deputy commander of the IRGC navy since 2010, was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2019 alongside other IRGC commanders following Iran's downing of a US surveillance drone near the Strait of Hormuz.
