As the war in West Asia rages on, Israel has stated on Thursday that Iran's Naval Commander Alireza Tangsiri has been killed. Citing a statement from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, Israeli media stated that the IRGC Commander is dead.
“The IDF eliminated the commander of the IRGC Navy,” said Katz, describing him as responsible for operations targeting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Katz further stated that the strike was a “message” to Iran’s Guards, adding: “The IDF will hunt you down and eliminate you one by one.". Times of Israel further quoted the defence minister as saying that Israel would continue operations in Iran “with full force” to achieve its war aims.
Earlier, an Israeli official told Times of Israel that the Tangsiri was killed in a strike in Bandar Abbas. The official added that it was Tangsiri who was responsible for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Track the latest on US Iran war
Several explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, on Thursday, the Hormozgan governor’s office said, as reported by Iran International.
{{/usCountry}}Several explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, on Thursday, the Hormozgan governor’s office said, as reported by Iran International.
{{/usCountry}}"Last night, we eliminated the Commander of the IRGC Navy. This man had a great deal of blood on his hands; he was also the one who led the closure of the Strait of Hormuz," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video address posted on X.
"This is yet another example of the cooperation between us and our friend, the United States, toward the common goal of achieving the objectives of the war," he added further.
Alongside Tangsiri, the IDF has also claimed the have eliminated the Head of the IRGC Navy Intelligence Directorate, Behnam Rezaei.
An official statement from Iran for the same is awaited.
If confirmed, Tangsiri's death would mark another assassination by Israel against Iranian leaders since February 28. Since the start of the war, which resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes, Tel Aviv has continued to target officials across Iran.
Recently, Iran's security chief Ali Larijani and energy ministry Esmail Khatib were also killed in targeted strikes carried out by Israeli forces.
Who is Alireza Tangsiri?
Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri has been serving as the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Naval Division since August 2018.
Throughout his tenure, Tangsiri has remained a key figure in Iran's maritime strategy in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
In January 2026, it was reported that the Naval Commander had been killed in a blast in the Bandar Abbas region. However, state media agency Tasnim later issued a statement from the IRGC, which denied these reports and stated that Tangsiri was alive and well.