U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper on Thursday urged every Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) service member to abandon their posts following the death of the service’s commander, Adm. Alireza Tangsiri.
"Tangsiri commanded the IRGC-N for eight years, during which time the IRGC harassed thousands of innocent merchant mariners, attacked hundreds of vessels with one way attack drones and missiles, and killed countless innocent civilians," Cooper said in a statement.
“We call on every Iranian serving in the IRGC-N to immediately abandon their posts and return home to avoid further risk of unnecessary injury or death,” Cooper added.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed Thursday that an Israeli airstrike had killed Tangsiri.
"Last night, in a precise and lethal operation, the IDF eliminated the commander of the Revolutionary Guards' navy, Tangsiri, along with senior officers of the naval command," Katz said in a video statement. "The man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to shipping was blown up and eliminated.”
In his statement, Adm. Cooper confirmed that 92% of the large ships in the Iranian Navy have been taken down, affirming that the IRGC-N “has completely lost their ability to project power in the Middle East or around the world.”
Adm. Cooper commended the Israeli strike, affirming that Adm. Tangsiri’s death “makes the region safer.”
As the Iran war approaches the four-week mark, it appears that an end to the conflict is far from imminent.
President Trump said on Thursday that the U.S. was "well ahead of schedule" in achieving its objectives.
"We estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve our mission," he added. "Twenty-six days in, we're extremely, really a lot, ahead of schedule."
Despite President Trump’s expressed optimism, Iranian state television’s English-language broadcaster, Press TV, reported on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic rejected a 15-point ceasefire proposal by the U.S, revealing some uncertainty on the conflict’s future.
