Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving the Trump administration effective immediately, the Pentagon announced Wednesday, adding his name to a growing list of senior defense officials removed or departed this year.
Undersecretary Hung Cao will assume the role of acting Navy secretary, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. "On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy," Parnell said in a statement posted on X.
The timing of Phelan's exit coincides with escalating tensions over U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf. The American military has seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, an action Iran has characterized as a breach of the fragile ceasefire between the two nations. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the seizures on Fox News, stating the vessels were "international" and characterizing the blockade as "massively effective."
Phelan's departure reflects a broader purge of military leadership under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Earlier this month, Hegseth forced out Gen. Randy George, the Army chief of staff, along with two other Army generals. George, who served as senior military assistant to former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration, was removed effective immediately. His ouster appears tied to tensions between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.
Hegseth has systematically removed multiple senior Pentagon officials since taking office in 2025. Last year he fired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who headed the Defense Intelligence Agency, after investigators found that U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities fell short of President Donald Trump's claims. Among other high-profile removals: Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, Joint Chiefs Chairman CQ Brown Jr., Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Coast Guard Adm. Linda Fagan.
The cascade of departures signals Hegseth's intent to reshape military command around officials he views as aligned with previous administrations. With Phelan's exit, the Navy leadership faces fresh uncertainty as tensions with Iran show no signs of easing.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Hegseth is running the Pentagon like a loyalty purge, not a defense strategy. At some point, continuity and expertise have to matter more than settling scores from the last administration."
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