Iranian commodore behind Hormuz blockade killed in IDF strike

Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy, was killed in an IDF strike, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced.

By World Israel News Staff

The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval forces, Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, was killed in an IDF airstrike on Iran overnight, the Israeli military announced Thursday afternoon.

Tangsiri was killed after years of overseeing the regime’s maritime terror activity and coordinating Iranian military forces in the Gulf, according to the IDF statement.

He had held a series of key positions in the IRGC Navy and was responsible for attacks on oil tankers and commercial vessels for many years. The IDF accused him of directly threatening freedom of navigation and trade in the Strait of Hormuz and in international waters.

Since the beginning of the current war, Tangsiri has ordered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and promoted maritime attacks, making him one of the central figures behind disruptions to the global economy.

The statement also said Tangsiri had been subject to multiple international sanctions over his involvement in terrorist plots targeting ships in international waters, as well as in the transfer of air defense systems and drones to Russia and Syria.

In addition to Tangsiri, the airstrike also killed Brig. Gen. Behnam Rezaei, the head of intelligence for the IRGC’s naval forces.

Rezaei had served for several years as chief of naval intelligence and was considered a key source of expertise in maritime intelligence, the IDF said. In that role, he was involved in gathering intelligence on regional countries and leading cooperation with various intelligence organizations.

The killing of the two senior naval officials comes in addition to the deaths of dozens of commanders from what the statement described as the Iranian terror regime during the course of the operation. It marks another significant blow to the Revolutionary Guards’ command-and-control structure and its ability to conduct maritime terror activity against countries in the region, the statement said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touted Tangsiri’s killing, calling it a step toward achieving one of the goals of the present war.

“We continue to forcefully strike the targets of the Iranian terrorist regime,” Netanyahu said on Thursday. “Last night, we eliminated the Commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. This man had a great deal of blood on his hands; he was also the one who led the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”

“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.”