US Confirms Death of Iranian IRGC Navy Commander

JAKARTA - The United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) on Thursday confirmed the death of the Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy in an Israeli airstrike.

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement, the IRGC, under the command of Commodore Alireza Tangsiri for eight years, "harassed thousands of innocent merchant sailors, attacked hundreds of ships with one-way attack drones and missiles, and killed many innocent civilians."

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that Iran "no longer" has a naval commander.

"The commander of the IRGC Navy was killed last night in an operation. So there is no navy, no navy leader," said Defense Minister Hegseth in a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump.

Earlier, an Israeli official said Thursday that Komodor Tangsiri was killed in an air strike in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, accusing the Iranian general of being responsible for attempts to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Regarding the US military campaign against Iran that began last month, Defense Secretary Hegseth said it was "not an endless war."

"This is a decisive campaign with a clear goal to destroy Iran's offensive military capabilities and ensure they never acquire nuclear weapons," he said.

He said the Pentagon would continue to "negotiate with the bomb."

"A-10 Warthog fighter planes and Apache attack helicopters conduct strike missions inside Iranian airspace and the Strait of Hormuz at will. You only send these slow, low-flying close-air support platforms when the enemy has no meaningful air defenses," claimed Secretary of Defense Hegseth.