Israel kills Iranian navy chief in charge of Strait of Hormuz blockade

Israel has announced the killing of the Iranian naval commander responsible for orchestrating the near-complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps navy, Alireza Tangsiri, was "directly responsible for the terrorist act of bombing and blocking the Strait of Hormuz", according to Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz.

The Defence Minister confirmed Mr Tangsiri had been "blown up" and stated that several other high-ranking naval command figures perished alongside him.

Tehran has yet to issue any response to the claims.

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The Israeli military confirmed through a statement on X that Behnam Rezaei, who led the IRGC Navy's intelligence directorate, was also "eliminated" in the operation.

Iran's blockade of the strait has formed a central component of its wartime strategy since hostilities commenced on February 28.

The strategic waterway normally carries approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

The narrow passage sits between Iranian territory and the coastlines of the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and has caused for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump to rally together in a desperate bid to see it reopened.

As of last week, vessel movements through the waterway had plummeted by roughly 95 per cent, with Tehran permitting certain vessels through within the last day, provided they adhere to regulation.

The dramatic reduction in shipping has driven oil prices sharply higher, imposing direct costs on consumers across the United States, Israel and nations worldwide - with the UK hit the hardest of all G7 nations.

Mr Tangsiri took command of the IRGC Navy in 2018, having served as deputy commander since 2010.

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on him in 2019, alongside other Revolutionary Guards commanders, following Iran's downing of an American surveillance drone in the vicinity of the strait.

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In the weeks preceding his death, an X account attributed to the naval chief had regularly posted about the Hormuz blockade.

One message declared that "no vessel associated with the aggressors against Iran has the right to pass through".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterised Mr Tangsiri as someone with "a great deal of blood on his hands".

Mr Netanyahu described the assassination as "yet another example of the co-operation between us and our friend, the United States, toward the common goal of achieving the objectives of the war".

The killing of Mr Tangsiri follows a pattern of targeted assassinations of senior Iranian figures since the conflict erupted.

Israel has eliminated several top officials in Tehran since late February, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and security chief Ali Larijani.

The joint operations between Washington and Jerusalem have systematically targeted Iran's military and political leadership throughout the ongoing hostilities.

What Tehran deems "non-hostile vessels" may - provided that they neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran - benefit from safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran indicated it had implemented what it described as "necessary and proportionate measures" to stop aggressors from using the strait for hostile operations against the country.

The diplomatic communication with the UN Security Council and the International Maritime Organisation made clear which vessels would be barred from transiting the waterway.

Ships, equipment and any assets belonging to the US or Israel, "as well as other participants in the aggression, do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage".

This explicit exclusion extends beyond American and Israeli vessels to encompass any parties Tehran considers to be participating in military action against the Islamic Republic.

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