The assassination overnight between Wednesday and Thursday of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri took place in a safe house in the port city of Bandar Abbas, which had been turned into a headquarters following strikes on IRGC facilities in southern Iran.
According to an Israeli military official, Military Intelligence identified the location of the apartment, which was ultimately struck from the air.
The building where Alireza Tangsiri was killed
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. 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.
Alongside Tangsiri, the IDF eliminated the head of the IRGC Navy Intelligence Directorate, Behnam Rezaei, considered a key figure in maritime intelligence.
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. As part of his role, Rezaei was responsible for intelligence collection on regional countries and led cooperation with various intelligence organizations.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) praised Israel for the assassination, saying it “makes the region safer.” According to the statement, “Tangsiri commanded for eight years, during which the IRGC harassed thousands of innocent mariners, attacked hundreds of vessels with drones and missiles, and killed countless civilians. He was designated a global terrorist by the U.S. Treasury in June 2019, along with additional sanctions imposed in 2024 related to drone development.”
CENTCOM added that, since the start of the war, 92% of Iran’s naval vessels have been destroyed, leaving the IRGC having “completely lost its ability to project power in the Middle East or globally.”
“With the loss of their long-serving leader, the IRGC is in irreversible decline. U.S. military strikes will continue, and we call on every IRGC servicemember to immediately abandon their post and return home to avoid unnecessary injury or death.” according to CENTCOM.
Speaking Thursday morning, amid the possibility that the United States could launch a ground operation on Iranian soil to break Tehran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Minister Israel Katz said of the killing: “This is important news for our American partners, as an expression of the IDF’s assistance in opening the Strait of Hormuz.”
First published: 22:12, 03.26.26