Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that United States President Donald Trump helped Israel eliminate Commander Alireza Tangsiri of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)Navy, the latest senior Iranian official targeted in a relentless hunt-and-kill campaign.
In a statement issued on Thursday, March 26, Netanyahu claimed that Tangsiri was responsible for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We continue to forcefully strike the targets of the Iranian terrorist regime. 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,” he said.
On how the United States and President Donald Trump helped, he remarked, “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.”
Netanyahu Says US Helped Israel Eliminate IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri
Tangsiri was targeted in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas while meeting with senior commanders of the IRGC Navy, according to Israeli officials.
He was widely seen as a central figure in Iran’s naval strategy and was closely linked to recent efforts to restrict movement through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
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Tangsiri was one of Iran’s most influential and hardline military figures, serving as commander of the IRGC Navy since 2018 after being appointed by the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
He repeatedly threatened Western naval forces and openly spoke about confronting US warships in the Persian Gulf.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that the strike was a “message” to the IRGC: “The IDF will hunt you down and eliminate you one by one.”
He added that the IDF will continue to operate in Iran with full force to achieve the objectives of the war.
Israel and the US launched their campaign against Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize the regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile capacities.
Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes across the region, and its proxies in Iraq and Lebanon have also carried out attacks, with Israel launching massive airstrikes in Lebanon in response to the Hezbollah terror group’s rocket barrages.
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Strait of Hormuz
Tehran has largely blocked the vital Strait of Hormuz oil route in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks, pushing up global energy prices.
The Strait of Hormuz is a bending waterway, about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest of the world.
While Iran and Oman have their territorial waters in the strait, it’s viewed as an international waterway where all ships can ply. The United Arab Emirates, home to the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai, also sits near the waterway.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump says Iran has been “militarily obliterated,” and its negotiators have been “begging” to make a deal, but Iran has denied that talks with the US are taking place.
On Wednesday, an Iranian official issued five conditions to end the war, which came after Iran reportedly received a 15‑point plan from the US.
