Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Thursday claimed that Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, was killed in a targeted Israeli air strike carried out on Wednesday night.

In a video statement, Katz described the operation as “precise and lethal,” noting that other senior officers of the naval command were also targeted.

He alleged that Tangsiri had been “directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.”

The announcement comes amid ongoing hostilities in the United States-Israel conflict with Iran, which began on February 28.

Since then, Israel has claimed responsibility for the assassinations of several high-ranking Iranian officials, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani.

Iran has not officially confirmed Tangsiri’s death.