John Phelan Out as Navy Secretary

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was fired on Wednesday. The move comes in the middle of a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell announced the dismissal in a brief statement on X, offering no explanation. “Secretary of the Navy John C Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” Parnell wrote.

Phelan reportedly had clashed with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has sought to shake up the Pentagon.

Hung Cao, the under-secretary of the Navy, will temporarily succeed Phelan on an acting basis.