Israel announced the elimination of Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N), who led the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The strike was confirmed in a statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Alongside Tangsiri, the IDF eliminated Behnam Rezai, head of the IRGC-N intelligence directorate.
According to The Jerusalem Post, they were killed in a strike on the port city of Bandar Abbas, located on the coast of the Strait of Hormuz.
During his tenure, Tangsiri oversaw a massive expansion of the IRGC-N, enhancing its capabilities with thousands of weapons, including missiles and naval mines. He directed attacks on oil tankers and merchant vessels using drones and sea mines.
His role grew significantly during the current war, as he became a key figure authorizing most maritime attacks in southern Iran, including those targeting civilian infrastructure and U.S.-linked facilities.
Under his leadership, the IRGC-N also supported regional allies, primarily the Houthis, by providing maritime intelligence and helping track vessels in strategically vital waters.
Middle East War
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and nearly the entire military leadership—about 40 key senior officials—were killed in these attacks. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, with Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei, taking the position.
In response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks, Iran began firing on American bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, while also launching missiles at Israel. Some Iranian drones and missiles have struck infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries.
The war has halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. As a result, prices for oil, gas, and precious metals have surged. On March 9, global oil prices exceeded $100 per barrel for the first time in nearly four years.
To curb prices, the International Energy Agency decided to release 400 million barrels of oil, while the U.S. plans to release 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. On March 12, the U.S. temporarily lifted sanctions for 30 days on the purchase of Russian oil stranded at sea, and a week later, similar permission was granted for Iranian oil.
"The death of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - Navy (IRGC-N) commander, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, from an Israeli airstrike makes the region safer," stated Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM Commander. "We call on every Iranian serving in the IRGC-N to immediately abandon their post and return home to avoid further risk of unnecessary injury or death."