Iran’s IRGC Navy commander killed, Israeli defense minister claims

• Israeli army claims head of IRGC Navy Intelligence Directorate also killed

ISTANBUL

Israel’s defense minister claimed Thursday that the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy was killed in an airstrike.

Channel 12 quoted Israel Katz as saying that Alireza Tangsiri had been “eliminated,” along with all senior Navy command officials.

The claim came shortly after an Israeli official said that Tangsiri was killed in an airstrike in Iran’s southern city of Bandar Abbas, saying the Iranian commander was responsible for closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

A military statement said that alongside Tangsiri, the army killed Behnam Rezaei, head of the IRGC Navy Intelligence Directorate in the same strike.

The army claimed that Rezaei was responsible for intelligence collection on regional countries.

There was no immediate confirmation from Iran of the Israeli claim.

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively disrupted since early March. Around 20 million barrels of oil normally pass through it daily, and its disruption has driven up shipping costs and pushed global oil prices higher.

The US and Israel have maintained airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.