Israel says it has killed Iran's navy chief overseeing Strait of Hormuz blockade

Israel says it has killed an Iranian navy chief overseeing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels.

Defence Minister Israel Katz says Alireza Tangsiri was "directly responsible" for the effective closure of the strait, and has been "blown up".

He adds that a number of other "senior Navy command officials" have also been killed.

Iran has not yet commented.

Alireza Tangsiri was appointed as the commander of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2018. Previously he had served as the deputy commander of the IRGC navy from 2010.

An X account attributed to him has been active since 10 March this year, with Iranian outlets quoting from the posts on it. In the posts, he has posted several times about the Strait of Hormuz. The account had said that "no vessel associated with the aggressors against Iran has the right to pass through".

Tangsiri is an outspoken commander, having made several statements against the US and Israel in the past.

Back in 2019 he had threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if Iran's oil exports were disrupted.

Tangsiri was sanctioned by the US Treasury along with other IRGC commanders in 2019 after Iran shot down a US surveillance drone near the strait.