Alireza Tangsiri, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy commander and the man responsible for directing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, was eliminated in an Israeli strike on the port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Thursday, as U.S. and Israeli forces continue to kill dozens of Iran’s top officials, including Ayatollah Khamenei.
Several of his top aides were also killed in the strike.
“We continue to vigorously attack the targets of the Iranian terrorist regime. Yesterday, we neutralized the Navy Commander of the Revolutionary Guards,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to a translation. “This man has a lot of blood on his hands. In addition, he is the one who led the closure of the Hormuz. This is another example of the cooperation between us and our friends in the United States in a shared goal to achieve the goals of the war.”
Tangsiri had previously vowed to keep the Strait closed after being given a direct order by Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who may or may not even be alive, as rumors swirl that he is either dead, in a coma, or severely injured from the strike that killed his father.
