Israeli Media Alleges Fatal Strike on Iran's IRGC Navy Commander
Israeli media outlets have reported on Thursday that Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, was killed in a strike in Bandar Abbas, Iran. The reports cite an unnamed Israeli official as the source of this information. However, there has been no official confirmation or comment from Iranian authorities or the Israeli military regarding the alleged incident.
Background of the Commander and Regional Tensions
According to a Times of Israel report, Tangsiri was a key figure responsible for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint for global oil shipments. This development comes amid heightened military activities in the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has recently conducted a fresh round of military operations targeting US military installations across the Middle East. These actions are described as retaliation for earlier airstrikes against infrastructure and civilian facilities in northern Iran.
Ongoing Military Operations and Warnings
On Wednesday, the IRGC and the Iranian Army executed multiple operations as part of Operation True Promise 4. This campaign was launched immediately after strikes on Iran by a US-Israeli coalition. Iranian armed forces have reportedly carried out 82 waves of missile and drone strikes using advanced weaponry. These attacks have targeted Israeli military facilities, as well as US bases and assets scattered throughout the West Asia region.
In addition, the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have joined the front against what they term external aggressors, inflicting significant damage. The IRGC has issued a stark warning to US-Israel forces, cautioning against any potential ground operation within Iranian territory. A statement from the IRGC read, "Don't send your children to hell with the deceit of Netanyahu and Trump. The invading soldiers will be deeply drowned and disappear in the million-strong sea of the Iranian nation."
Appeal to American Public and US Military Movements
The IRGC also made a direct appeal to the American people, accusing warmongers such as Trump and Netanyahu of misleading them through lies and distortion of battlefield realities. "The truth of the war you must observe at American gas stations, on the streets of Iran, and in the skies of Tel Aviv and Haifa," the statement emphasized.
Meanwhile, according to a CBS report, the Pentagon is expected to deploy troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. A source familiar with the planning indicated that elements of the division, including a command component and some ground forces, are being sent to the region. There are also considerations for a possible ground operation on Kharg Island.
Details of Recent Missile Strikes
The IRGC Public Relations Department claimed that in the 81st wave of Operation True Promise 4, precision-guided missiles, including Emad, Qiam, Khorramshahr-4, and Qadr types, struck more than 70 locations across Israel. Targets reportedly hit include areas in Haifa, Dimona, Al-Khudriyya near Haifa, and regions north and south of Tel Aviv. These actions underscore the escalating conflict and the use of sophisticated weaponry in the ongoing hostilities.
