Alireza Tangsiri

Alireza Tangsiri commanded the IRGC Navy from August 2018, personally appointed by Ali Khamenei to replace Ali Fadavi. Born in a Persian Gulf fishing community, he built the IRGC Navy's 'swarm tactics' doctrine — coordinated attacks by hundreds of fast-attack craft and missiles designed to overwhelm US carrier groups. He was the public face of Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during the 2026 Iran war. He was killed on 26 March 2026 in an Israeli airstrike at the port of Bandar Abbas, alongside other senior IRGC Navy commanders. The US Treasury had designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2019.