Israel Claims Precision Strike Kills IRGC Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri, Architect of Strait of Hormuz Blockade
Israeli officials announced on Thursday that a targeted airstrike eliminated Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, along with other senior naval officers. The strike occurred overnight in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Tangsiri as the officer directly responsible for mining operations and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that handles roughly 20-30% of global seaborne oil trade. Katz stated that Tangsiri "led the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic," calling the elimination an "important message" in efforts to reopen the waterway. Netanyahu added that the commander had "a great deal of blood on his hands." The Israeli military said the operation was carried out by the Air Force with precise intelligence from military an...