Iran has confirmed that the head of the naval force of the Revolutionary Guards was killed in an Israeli strike, with Israel claiming he was responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards’ Sepah News website reported that Alireza Tangsiri passed away due to injuries sustained in the attack last week. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the airstrike last Thursday, stating that Tangsiri was directly involved in mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has been enforcing a de facto blockade on the vital waterway since the start of the ongoing conflict, leading to a rise in global energy prices. Tangsiri was reportedly overseeing coastal defense efforts when he was killed, with the Guards vowing to continue their fight until the enemy is completely defeated.
Tangsiri joins a list of high-ranking Iranian officials confirmed to have been killed during the conflict, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani. Katz mentioned that senior naval command officers were also killed in the strike that targeted Tangsiri.
Having served as a key figure in the Revolutionary Guards since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Tangsiri was appointed by Khamenei in 2018 to lead the naval branch of the organization. Under his command, the Guards’ navy had been bolstered and claimed responsibility for seizing multiple foreign vessels. He was previously sanctioned by the United States for counter-terrorism reasons in 2019.
While Israel and the United States view these targeted killings as significant blows to Iran, analysts believe that the Islamic republic continues to demonstrate resilience and the ability to recover from such setbacks.