Senior Iranian official Alireza Tangsiri likely eliminated in joint Israeli-US strike

TEHRAN: Another senior Iranian official was killed in a joint Israeli-American strike. The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' navy, Alireza Tangsiri, was reportedly eliminated on Wednesday. Tangsiri was reportedly the brain behind the closure of the Strait of Hormuz when the war intensified. The Times of Israel reported that Tangsiri was killed in a joint Israeli-American strike. However, neither Iran nor the Israeli military has confirmed this.

The United States and Israel have attempted to assassinate Tangsiri several times, but to no avail. He was appointed commander of the Navy in 2018. Since the Middle East conflict escalated into war on February 28, Israel and the United States have assassinated a handful of key leaders, including Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian Defense Council Secretary Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Mohammad Pakpour, Iranian Army Chief of General Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, and Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a key figure in Iranian politics. Alireza Tangsiri's name is the latest in the list.

Meanwhile, Iran has threatened to block the Bab al-Mandab Strait if the US or Israel attacks its islands, including Kharg. The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a part of the Suez Canal that controls shipping traffic.