Tangsiri was behind Iran’s maritime attacks, including mining operations and tanker strikes, and efforts to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
By The IDF Club
Israel eliminated the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and the head of its naval intelligence division in a strike overnight in Bandar Abbas, dealing a major blow to Iran’s maritime command structure.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the strike killed IRGC Navy commander Ali Reza Tangsiri, who had led the force for the past eight years, along with Behnam Rezaei, the head of naval intelligence.
The strike was carried out by the Israeli Air Force using precise intelligence provided by Israeli military intelligence and naval intelligence units.
Tangsiri was considered one of the key figures behind Iran’s maritime terror operations and was responsible for mining operations, attacks on oil tankers and commercial vessels, and efforts to disrupt global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israeli officials said he played a central role in Iran’s attempts to block the strait and threaten international shipping lanes during the current war.
Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the operation earlier, saying the commander was “directly responsible for the terror activity of mining and attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz to shipping,” and added that the strike sends “a clear message to all senior officials in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that control Iran today: the IDF will hunt you down one by one.”
Rezaei, who served as head of naval intelligence for several years, was considered a central figure in Iran’s maritime intelligence operations and was responsible for intelligence gathering on regional countries and coordination with various Iranian intelligence organizations.
The elimination of the IRGC Navy leadership comes amid escalating tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes.
The strait has become one of the central fronts in the conflict, with Iran attempting to disrupt shipping and the United States warning of severe consequences if the route remains closed.
Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly reinforced defenses and deployed additional forces to Kharg Island, the strategic island that handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports.
Reports said Iran placed mines along potential landing areas and deployed additional portable air defense systems as the United States considered possible operations targeting the island or Iran’s oil export infrastructure.
Israeli officials said the elimination of the IRGC naval leadership represents another major blow to Iran’s command and control structure and its ability to conduct maritime operations, attacks on shipping, and economic warfare in the Gulf region.
