PM Netanyahu and the IDF confirmed eliminating IRGC Navy commander Ali Reza Tangsiri and intelligence chief Hanam Rezaei in an overnight strike. Netanyahu cited the commander's role in closing the Strait of Hormuz and highlighted US cooperation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have confirmed the elimination of the top command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, including its commander and the head of its intelligence division. In a video statement shared on X, Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasised the persistence of the campaign, stating, "We continue to forcefully strike the targets of the Iranian terrorist regime."
Highlighting the significance of the operation, he added, "Last night, we eliminated the Commander of the IRGC Navy. This man had a great deal of blood on his hands; he was also the one who led the closure of the Strait of Hormuz." "This is yet another example of the cooperation between us and our friend, the United States, toward the common goal of achieving the objectives of the war," he stated.
IDF Confirms Key Commanders Eliminated
In a parallel post on X, the IDF confirmed that the Air Force, under precise intelligence guidance from Military Intelligence and the Navy's Intelligence Branch, struck overnight in Bandar Abbas and eliminated Ali Reza Tangsiri, commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Navy over the past eight years. The IDF stated that Tangsiri held key roles, "including overseeing the regime's maritime terror activities and coordinating between Iranian military forces in the Gulf region."
Tangsiri's History of Maritime Aggression
The military further noted that, over the years, he was responsible for "attacking oil tankers and merchant ships and directly threatened freedom of navigation and trade in the Strait of Hormuz and the international maritime domain."
Tangsiri also "led the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and promoted terror actions in the maritime domain, one of the main figures responsible for disrupting the global economy."
Intelligence Head Also Killed in Strike
Along with Tangsiri, the IDF confirmed the elimination of Hanam Rezaei, the head of the Navy's Intelligence Division. Rezaei was described as a "hub of knowledge in maritime intelligence" who engaged in intelligence gathering on regional countries and led collaborations with various intelligence organisations.
Operation Deemed a 'Severe Blow' to IRGC
According to the IDF, this operation joins dozens of eliminations of Iranian commanders, constituting "another severe blow to the Revolutionary Guards' command and control systems, and to its ability to conduct terror activities in the maritime domain against regional countries." (ANI)
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