TEHRAN – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has confirmed the assassination of its Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, stating that he succumbed to injuries sustained in the ongoing Israeli-U.S. military operations against Iran.

In an official statement released on March 30, the IRGC announced that Tangsiri, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War and long-time commander of the IRGC Navy, was martyred due to "the severity of his injuries." 

The statement detailed that the commander was reinforcing defensive positions along Iran’s islands and coastlines when he was targeted during military aggression by the United States and Israel.

According to the IRGC, Tangsiri was overseeing operations that resulted in significant damage to enemy infrastructure, including the downing of a U.S. fighter jet, before his injury.

His martyrdom marks a significant loss for the IRGC, where Tangsiri had served as Navy chief since his appointment by Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in August 2018. Born in 1962, he was a veteran naval brigade commander during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War and later commanded the 1st Naval District in Bandar Abbas.

Throughout his tenure, Tangsiri became known for his epic statements directed at the United States. In 2007, he famously warned that Iran would pursue American forces "even to the Gulf of Mexico" in the event of a conflict. 

Following the 2016 incident in which Iran detained 10 U.S. sailors who had entered Iranian waters, Tangsiri described the event as "U.S. forces surrendering to Iran." 

He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2019 and faced secondary sanctions in 2024. The U.S. announced it would freeze his assets, which he never actually owned.

The IRGC’s statement emphasized that Tangsiri’s martyrdom will not alter its operational posture. It noted that naval forces maintain full command and control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil supplies.

"The Iranian nation has become accustomed to such martyrdoms," the statement read, adding that the IRGC Navy will continue its operations "until the complete destruction of the enemy and the liberation of holy Quds."