Overview
- Phelan’s departure took effect immediately on Wednesday, according to a Pentagon statement, and Undersecretary Hung Cao was tapped to serve as acting Navy secretary.
- Multiple outlets report the move capped months of disputes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over how fast to accelerate shipbuilding changes, and CNN sources say Phelan was told to resign or be fired.
- The change comes as U.S. naval forces enforce restrictions on Iranian shipping near the Strait of Hormuz, with reports noting vessels have been turned back and two ships boarded during a fragile cease-fire period.
- The Pentagon offered no public rationale for the ouster, which follows Hegseth’s early-April removal of Army Chief Randy George and other high-level departures across the department.
- Reporting in The New York Times, cited by Spanish media, warns the leadership churn and procurement fights could slow restocking of Tomahawk missiles and high-end air defenses that U.S. forces have drawn on in operations tied to Iran.