Israel declared on Thursday (March 26) that they had killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, in a beheading operation. Following Tangsiri’s death, Brad Cooper, commander of the United States Central Command, responded and urged Iranian navy personnel to immediately abandon their posts to avoid unnecessary casualties.
Since February 28, Israel and the United States have launched joint military operations against Iran. The US Central Command is primarily responsible for military strikes against Iran, and has been providing updates on the operation on the social media platform X.
On Thursday, Cooper issued a statement on X platform regarding Tangsiri’s beheading.
“IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri was killed in an Israeli airstrike, making the region more secure,” he said.
Cooper added that during Tangsiri’s eight-year tenure as the IRGC Navy commander, numerous innocent sailors of commercial ships were harassed by the IRGC. The IRGC also used one-way attack drones and missile attacks on ships, resulting in the deaths of countless innocent civilians.
Cooper mentioned that in June 2019, Tangsiri was designated as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” by the US Treasury Department, and was further subjected to secondary sanctions in 2024 due to drone development-related issues.
In the statement, Cooper also provided updates on the US military actions against Iran. He stated, “Since the beginning of the ‘Epic Fury Operation,’ 92% of Iran’s large naval vessels have been destroyed. The IRGC Navy has completely lost its power projection capabilities in the Middle East and globally. With the loss of a long-time leader, the IRGC Navy is heading towards irreversible decline. The US will continue military strikes against the IRGC Navy.”
“Therefore, we urge all Iranians serving in the IRGC Navy to immediately abandon their posts and return home to avoid further unnecessary risks of casualties,” he said.
The Pentagon chief, Secretary of War Haggises, stated on Thursday that Iran has now lost its navy and its navy leader. He reiterated that the US military operations against Iran are “not an endless war, but a decisive mission with clear objectives aimed at destroying Iran’s military capabilities and ensuring it never acquires nuclear weapons.”