The Israeli government has announced the killing of Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, in a targeted military operation.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the development on Thursday, alleging that Tangsiri was “directly responsible for the terrorist act of bombing and blocking the Strait of Hormuz.” He added that the commander was killed alongside several other senior naval officials, whose identities have not yet been fully disclosed.

Tangsiri, a senior figure within Iran’s military establishment, had led the IRGC Navy since 2018, after serving as its deputy commander from 2010.

Iranian authorities have not yet issued an official response to the reported strike.

Known for his strong stance against Western influence in the Middle East, Tangsiri had repeatedly warned about Iran’s control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Since March 10, an account attributed to him on X (formerly Twitter) had posted multiple messages cautioning against foreign activity in the waterway.

In one such post, he stated that “no vessel associated with aggressors against Iran has the right to pass through” the strait.

In 2019, Tangsiri also warned that Iran could shut down the Strait of Hormuz if its oil exports were restricted by international sanctions. That same year, the United States Treasury sanctioned him and other IRGC commanders following Iran’s downing of a US surveillance drone near the strait of Hormuz.