Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israel says it has killed a senior Iranian naval commander in a targeted airstrike, as tensions in the Gulf escalate and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz drops sharply amid mounting restrictions imposed by Tehran.
In a statement carried by Agence France-Presse, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Ali Reza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, was killed along with several senior officers in a night air raid on the coastal city of Bandar Abbas. Katz described Tangsiri as directly responsible for operations aimed at mining and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, calling them acts of terrorism, and said he was killed in an explosion during the strike.
There has been no immediate confirmation or response from Iranian authorities regarding the reported killing. If verified, Tangsiri would be among the most prominent Iranian military figures targeted since Israel and the United States intensified coordinated strikes against Iran beginning on February 28, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
The reported strike comes amid a broader campaign that has allegedly targeted high-ranking Iranian officials. Israeli sources have claimed that several senior figures have been killed in recent weeks, though such claims remain difficult to independently verify and, in some cases, have not been acknowledged by Tehran.
At the center of the crisis is the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically vital waterways. The narrow passage connects the Gulf to the open ocean and is a critical artery for global energy supplies. In peacetime, roughly 20 percent of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passes through the strait.
Iran, which exerts significant control over maritime traffic in the region, has increasingly restricted passage, reportedly targeting vessels it believes are linked to US or Israeli interests while allowing limited transit for others. The result has been a dramatic decline in shipping activity.
According to data from maritime analytics firm Kpler and industry publication Lloyd’s List, traffic through the strait has dropped by as much as 95 percent in March. While the waterway typically sees around 120 vessel transits per day, only 155 ships crossed between March 1 and March 25.
Of those, 99 were oil and gas tankers, with the vast majority heading eastward out of the Gulf. On some days, traffic has nearly halted altogether; only two vessels were recorded transiting westward on a recent Wednesday.
Iranian media outlets close to the Revolutionary Guard, including Fars and Tasnim, have reported that authorities are also organizing a system to regulate and potentially monetize transit through the strait. Analysts say Tehran appears to be implementing a de facto toll regime, with some ships reportedly paying fees in Chinese yuan to secure safe passage.
The disruption has raised alarm across global energy markets and shipping industries, with analysts warning that prolonged restrictions could have far-reaching consequences for oil prices, supply chains, and regional stability.
As the situation continues to evolve, the lack of official confirmation from Tehran regarding the reported death of Tangsiri underscores the fog of war surrounding the conflict, with competing narratives and limited independent verification complicating efforts to assess developments on the ground.
