Iranian Commander Alireza Tangsiri killed in Israeli attack, Iran threatens Bab al-Mandeb strike

Tel Aviv (The Uttam Hindu): Israel has claimed to have killed Alireza Tangsiri, a navy commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Israeli media reported.

The Times of Israel quoted an Israeli official as saying that a navy commander was killed in the attacks on the city of Bandar Abbas, although Iran has yet to officially confirm this claim. Alireza Tangsiri's name has been in the headlines in recent days. He was the head of the IRGC Navy and was considered a key figure in Iran's maritime military strategy, particularly in monitoring ships and military operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Born in Bushehr province in southern Iran, Tangsiri joined the IRGC Navy after playing a key role in the Iran-Iraq War and the so-called Tanker War (the first conflict between the US and Iran in the 1980s).

Tangsiri commanded the IRGC Navy's First Naval District in Bandar Abbas and served as deputy commander from 2010 to 2018, after which he assumed the position of Chief of the Force. If Tangsiri's death is confirmed, he will join a growing list of senior Iranian officials assassinated since the war began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched joint military action against Iran. The first and most significant casualties included Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Subsequently, top officials and leaders of the Islamic Republic's political and military clique were killed. These attacks virtually wiped out Iran's top tier. Ali Larijani, Khamenei's key adviser and Secretary of the Security Council, was the victim of one such attack. His death also dealt a significant blow to Iran, as he was considered a skilled negotiator.