Iran's naval force commander, Alireza Tangsiri, has been confirmed dead following an Israeli airstrike. The confirmation came from a statement carried by the Revolutionary Guards' Sepah News website, which stated that Tangsiri "succumbed to severe injuries" from the attack last week. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had earlier announced the killing of Tangsiri, describing him as the "man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz".
The killing of Tangsiri is a significant blow to Iran's naval capabilities, as he was a veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war and one of the longest-serving senior figures in the force. Under his leadership, the Guards' navy had been significantly strengthened. His funeral will be held on Tuesday in the port city of Bandar Abbas, according to Sepah News.
The war, now in its second month, has seen Iran restrict the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a surge in global energy prices. The Revolutionary Guards' statement vowed that "we will not rest until the enemy is completely destroyed". Supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei extended his condolences in a message on Telegram, hailing Tangsiri as "a soldier of Iran and guardian of Islam" during the war.
The loss of Alireza Tangsiri is a major setback for Iran's naval force, and it remains to be seen how this will impact their strategy in the war. With the Strait of Hormuz still blocked, the global energy market will continue to feel the effects of the conflict.
