Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, was reportedly killed in an airstrike Thursday in Bandar Abbas, according to the New York Post, which cited an Israeli official speaking to The Jerusalem Post. Neither the Israeli military nor the Iranian military had publicly commented on the reported strike.
Bandar Abbas sits on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil routes. The report said about 20% of the world’s oil supply moves through the waterway. Tangsiri was described in the report as a key figure in Iran’s move to shut the strait after the start of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.
The reported strike comes after the killings of other senior Iranian figures, including IRGC spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini, Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, according to the report.
The report also said Tehran has threatened to widen the conflict if U.S. forces move against Kharg Island. Citing Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, it said IRGC-linked sources warned that Iran could open other fronts if military action expanded in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
Those threats included the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, another major shipping route that links the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The report said about 12% of the world’s oil passes through that chokepoint. It also described Kharg Island as handling 90% of Iranian crude exports.
The outlet also reported that Iranian forces have strengthened air defenses and planted mines around Kharg Island amid fears of a possible invasion. It also cited Israeli sources as warning that a broader U.S. move could trigger Iranian drone attacks and lead to American casualties.
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