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3. Israel Kills IRGC Navy Commander in Precision Airstrike

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Thursday that an Israeli airstrike killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy (IRGCN).

“Last night, in a precise and lethal operation, the IDF eliminated the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy, Tangsiri, along with senior officers of the naval command,” Katz said in a video statement.

Who Was Brigadier General Tangsiri?

Alireza Tangsiri, born in 1962 in Bushehr Province, western Iran, has been commander of the IRGC Navy since August 2018. According to Alma Israel Research Center, “Tangsiri was the commander of the maritime regions of the northern Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz until 2009 when he was appointed deputy commander of the IRGCN. As with other Iranian regime elites, the United States and other nations have imposed sanctions on Tangsiri.”

Tangsiri, who is designated by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, had previously threatened to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz if U.S. sanctions halted Iran’s oil exports.

As commander of the IRGCN, he oversaw operations responsible for sabotaging vessels in international waters and played a central role in Iran’s regional naval strategy.

IRGC Capabilities

The IRGC Navy operates a diverse and increasingly sophisticated fleet, according to research by Alma Israel Research.

Its arsenal includes Chinese-made and domestically modified anti-ship missiles, fast attack craft, patrol boats, submarines, and underwater vessels for transporting combatants.

Many systems were acquired from China, North Korea, and Russia, while others were developed locally through duplication and enhancement of existing platforms, reflecting Iran’s growing maritime capabilities.