Israel said it killed Alireza Tangsiri, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy who played a major role in blocking traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tangsiri died along with other senior naval commanders in an overnight strike nearly one month after the start of the Israeli-U.S. bombing of Iran.
Tangsiri and the other commanders were taken out in a “precise IDF strike” in Bandar Abbas, Mr. Katz said.
Bombing in Tehran was underway on Thursday, according to The Associated Press, which cited eyewitness reports of “very large blasts” in the Iranian capital.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, Tangsiri headed the IRGC navy for eight years and was responsible for overseeing the regime’s terror activities.
He’s also blamed for leading strikes against oil tankers and interrupting maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere.
“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,” Mr. Katz said in a video statement.
Tangsiri was the subject of numerous international sanctions due to his involvement in terrorism against ships in international waters and his transfer of air defense systems and attack drones to Russia and Syria, the IDF said.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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