IDF kills IRGC Navy commander Tangsiri AND intel chief Rezaei at Bandar Abbas — top Navy leadership decapitated
The IDF officially confirmed the Israeli Air Force killed both IRGC Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri (8 years in post) and the IRGC Navy's intelligence chief, Behnam Rezaei, in an overnight strike on Bandar Abbas while Tangsiri was meeting with senior IRGC Navy officers. The IDF stated Tangsiri was 'responsible for attacks on oil tankers, personally threatened freedom of navigation, and led the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.' Netanyahu and Katz both cited US cooperation. The dual killing constitutes a decapitation of IRGC naval command-and-control.
Actor responses
An Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post that IRGC Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri was killed in a strike at Bandar Abbas. The IDF military has not issued an official confirmation. Tangsiri was described as personally responsible for the Strait of Hormuz closure.
No Iranian or IRGC statement confirming or denying Tangsiri's death has been issued. Tangsiri was quoted making statements about Hormuz enforcement as recently as March 25.
Iran has not confirmed Tangsiri's death. The IRGC Navy has been conducting ongoing enforcement operations in the Strait of Hormuz, including requiring vessels to provide manifests and crew details to the Hormozgan Provincial Command.
PM Netanyahu in a video statement: 'We are continuing to strike, with full force, targets of the Iranian terror regime. Last night, we eliminated the commander of the IRGC Navy. This individual has a great deal of blood on his hands and was also responsible for leading the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This is yet another example of the cooperation between us and our ally, the United States, in pursuit of our shared war objectives.'
IDF official statement: The IAF strike in Bandar Abbas killed IRGC Navy commander Tangsiri and intelligence chief Behnam Rezaei while Tangsiri was meeting with senior officers. Tangsiri served as IRGC Navy chief for 8 years. 'Over the years he was responsible for attacks on oil tankers and commercial vessels and personally threatened freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. During the current war he led efforts to close the strait and advanced terror attacks in the maritime domain, one of the primary figures responsible for disrupting the global economy.' The killings constitute 'an additional significant blow to the command-and-control arrays of the IRGC.'
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper: The Israeli airstrike killing IRGC Navy commander Tangsiri 'makes the region safer.' Cooper warned every Iranian serving in the IRGC Navy to 'abandon their post and return home to avoid further risk of unnecessary injury or death.'
Sources