The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's navy, Alireza Tangsiri, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to Israeli officials. Israel's defence minister said the strike was a 'precise and lethal operation' that also killed other senior naval officers, including naval intelligence chief Behnam Rezaei. Iran did not immediately confirm the deaths.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of United States Central Command, said the killing has put Iran's navy on a path toward 'irreversible decline.' He stated that weeks of coordinated United States and Israeli strikes have destroyed most of Iran's larger naval vessels and significantly reduced its ability to project power.

Israeli forces have recently targeted Iranian naval assets in multiple locations, including strikes on ships in the Caspian Sea equipped with missile systems and support craft. While much of Iran's larger naval capability has reportedly been dismantled, officials cautioned that smaller boats and shore-based missile systems still pose a threat.