IDF claims killing of Iranian naval commander in precision strike

The Israel Defence Forces said its Air Force carried out a precision overnight strike in Bandar Abbas, killing Alireza Tangsiri, who had led the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for eight years.

In a statement, the IDF said the operation was conducted using “precise intelligence” gathered by its military and naval units.

“Tangsiri served in several key positions within the IRGC Navy, during which he oversaw the regime’s activities and coordinated efforts between the Iranian military forces in the Persian Gulf area,” the statement said. “Over the years, Tangsiri was responsible for attacks on oil tankers and commercial vessels and personally threatened the freedom of navigation and trade in the Strait of Hormuz and the international maritime domain.”

The IDF added that during what it described as Operation Roaring Lion, Tangsiri led efforts aimed at closing the Strait of Hormuz and advancing attacks in the maritime domain, calling him “one of the primary figures responsible for disrupting the global economy.”

According to the statement, Tangsiri had been placed under multiple international sanctions for his alleged involvement in attacks on vessels in international waters, as well as for coordinating transfers of air defence systems and unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia and Syria.

The Israeli military also said that Behnam Rezaei, identified as head of the IRGC Navy Intelligence Directorate, was killed in the same strike.

“Rezaei served as the Head of the IRGC Navy Intelligence Directorate for a number of years and constituted a central knowledge authority in maritime intelligence,” the IDF said. “As part of his role, Rezaei was responsible for intelligence collection on regional countries and led cooperation with various intelligence organisations.”

The IDF described the strike as part of a broader campaign targeting senior Iranian military figures. “The elimination of the IRGC Navy senior leadership adds to the list of dozens of Iranian regime commanders who have been eliminated, and constitutes an additional significant blow to the command-and-control arrays of the IRGC and its abilities to orchestrate terror activities in the maritime domain against countries in the region,” the statement said.

“The IDF will continue to operate with determination against commanders of the Iranian regime wherever required,” it added.

By Tamilla Hasanova