By Ayomide Otitoju
An Israeli air strike has killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, announced Thursday.
The operation, carried out Wednesday night, was described by Katz as “precise” and also targeted other senior officers of the naval command. “The man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to shipping was blown up and eliminated,” Katz said in a video statement.
Since the outbreak of the United States-Israel conflict with Iran on February 28, Israel has claimed responsibility for the killings of several high-ranking Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said there has been no official Iranian confirmation of Tangsiri’s death. “But if it’s true, it’s another major blow to a country that has already lost several military commanders,” he noted.
In previous Israeli attacks, Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary forces, and Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib were also killed.
In recent days, Israeli forces have intensified strikes targeting Iranian naval assets. Last week, air raids reportedly hit multiple Iranian ships in the Caspian Sea, including missile-equipped vessels, patrol craft, and support ships.
