WASHINGTON

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday confirmed the death of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy commander in an Israeli airstrike.

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement that the IRGC, under Adm. Alireza Tangsiri’s command for eight years, "harassed thousands of innocent merchant mariners, attacked hundreds of vessels with one-way attack drones and missiles, and killed countless innocent civilians."

An Israeli official said Thursday that Tangsiri was killed in an airstrike in Iran’s southern city of Bandar Abbas, accusing the Iranian commander of being responsible for efforts to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Thursday that Iran has "no longer" has a navy commander.

"IRGC Navy commander was killed overnight in operation. So no navy, no navy leader," Hegseth said at a Cabinet meeting alongside President Donald Trump.

Turning to the US military campaign against Iran that began last month, Hegseth said it is “not an endless war.”

"It's a decisive campaign with clear objectives to destroy Iran's offensive military capabilities and ensure they never obtain a nuclear weapon," he argued.

He said that the Pentagon will continue to "negotiate with bombs."

"A-10 Warthog and Apache helicopter gunships are flying strike missions inside Iranian airspace and the Strait of Hormuz at will. You only send these slow, low-flying close air support platforms when the enemy has no meaningful air defenses left," Hegseth claimed.