As often since the beginning of this war, the announcement was made by Israel’s Defense Minister, Israël Katz. On Thursday, March 26, the Israeli leader declared that his country’s army had “eliminated” the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy, Alireza Tangsiri. The information has not yet been confirmed by Tehran, but if it were, it would be the highest-ranking leader of the Islamic Republic to be assassinated by American and Israeli strikes since the start of this conflict. “Tangsiri had been appointed at the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ naval force by the former Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in 2018, and he was known for his bellicose statements asserting Iranian dominance over the Strait of Hormuz,” as reported by The New York Times. In the last few weeks, he had gained attention through his social media interventions to report on the ships that Iran had denied passage through the strait, his threats towards US-linked oil installations, and by warning them not to attack the Kharg island.
While the surgical strikes of the Israeli Defense Forces continue to eliminate leaders of the Islamic Republic, Israel is also a victim of violent retaliation. This Thursday, March 26, the territory of the Israeli state “was hit by missile, rocket, and drone fire from Iran and Lebanon,” according to Ha’Aretz, which provides an account of these strikes. “One person died in the city of Nahariya, located in the north of the country, and at least 25 people were injured across the country.” Major cities in the center of the country such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were also targeted. In Tel Aviv, a resident expressed his feelings about the current situation to the progressive newspaper, saying, “I don’t think I will go back to work, there is a missile strike every five minutes. If it continues like this, I will just stay at home.”
The information was revealed by anonymous sources to The Washington Post, but it has not yet been officially commented on by the White House. “The Pentagon is considering reallocating military aid destined for Ukraine to the Middle East,” as reported by the progressive newspaper, which claims to have spoken to three sources on the subject. As of now, a final decision has not been made, but among the weapons that could be involved are “anti-aircraft defense interceptor missiles purchased as part of a NATO program launched last year, in which partner countries buy American weapons to send to Kiev,” as detailed by the US media outlet. If the information turns out to be accurate and Washington does indeed decide to allocate certain weapons to the Middle East rather than Ukraine, it would confirm the concerns of some European diplomatic offices who feared that US involvement in the Middle East and the subsequent lack of weapons would eventually affect aid to Kiev.
In recent days, there have been numerous reports about negotiations between Washington and Tehran regarding a potential peace agreement. The United States claims that the Islamic Republic is willing to negotiate, while Iran denies it. In this uncertain scenario, Axios asserts that “a spectacular military escalation will become increasingly likely if diplomatic negotiations do not succeed, particularly if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.” What would this look like? The media outlet based in Arlington, well-informed on military issues, states that four major options are being considered by the US government. These involve: “Invading or blockading Kharg Island, the main hub of Iranian oil exports; invading Larak, a hub that helps Iran consolidate its control over the Strait of Hormuz; seizing the strategic Abu Musa Island and two smaller islands near the western entrance of the strait; or seizing ships exporting Iranian oil from the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz.” Additionally, the American media outlet, citing anonymous sources, explains that “the US military has also devised plans to conduct ground operations in the heart of Iran to seize highly enriched uranium hidden in nuclear facilities.” Thus, a real military intervention inside the Islamic Republic appears to be an option on the table at this point, yet still unlikely.
