Tehran – At least one Indian national was among those killed in a recent Iranian missile attack in Abu Dhabi, officials confirmed Thursday, March 26, 2026. Another fatality was a Pakistani citizen, and three people injured in the strike, including one Indian national, are also reported to be from the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.
Meanwhile, Israel reportedly killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, in a joint operation with the United States near the coastal city of Bandar Abbas. Israeli officials, cited by Israeli media, stated that Tangsiri was a key figure in efforts to block the Strait of Hormuz. The Times of Israel reported that Tangsiri had been central to plans to close the vital waterway. Neither Iranian nor Israeli military officials have yet officially confirmed Tangsiri’s death.
Tangsiri, who had served as commander since 2018, had reportedly evaded multiple assassination attempts by the U.S. And Israel. Since February 28, numerous high-ranking officials and military commanders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, have been killed in alleged U.S.-Israeli attacks. The death of Ali Larijani earlier this month was a significant blow to Iran.
Tehran has threatened to block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping, if the U.S. And Israel attempt to expand the conflict by attacking its islands or conducting naval maneuvers in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Iran already maintains significant control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. Any disruption to the Bab al-Mandeb would exacerbate the economic impact of the ongoing regional conflict.
The Bab al-Mandeb, the world’s fourth-busiest shipping lane, handles around 12% of global oil transport by sea. The strait is located off the coast of Yemen, where Iranian-backed Houthi rebels hold sway. “If the enemy takes action on Iranian islands or in any region, or seeks to create a naval impact on Iran in the Gulf and the Sea of Oman, they will face reciprocal action from us that will not only render their actions futile but also inflict double the losses on them,” Tasnim News Agency quoted sources within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as saying.
Fars News Agency reported that Yemeni Houthi groups would join Iran in the fight against U.S. And Israeli forces, potentially assisting Tehran in controlling the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The news outlet stated that controlling the strait is essential to punish U.S.-Israeli forces, and that Iran has the capability to pose a credible threat to this waterway, with the Houthis fully prepared to do so.
In a separate development, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Iranian leadership had invited him to become their new supreme leader, an offer he declined. Trump made the assertion during a Republican Party fundraiser. “They said, ‘We want you to be our next supreme leader.’ I said, ‘No thank you,’” Trump reportedly stated. Several high-ranking Iranian figures have been killed in recent attacks, and following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was proclaimed as the potential new supreme leader, though he has yet to appear publicly.
