AS Navy Secretary Fired Amid Hormuz Strait Blockade: Pentagon Shakeup Explained

President Donald Trump is replacing his Secretary of the Navy as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues in the Persian Gulf.

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was fired Wednesday after months of feuding with his Pentagon bosses, particularly over his handling of President Trump’s “Golden Fleet” shipbuilding initiative. Tensions among Phelan, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy War Secretary Stephen Feinberg had been simmering for months, according to the New York Times and a Republican source. Phelan didn’t get along with Pentagon brass and his management and leadership style were “incongruent” with Hegseth and Feinberg, one GOP source familiar with the fired Navy secretary’s standing at the Pentagon told The Post. “The administration really wanted to accelerate the shipbuilding program because of the president’s agenda … and the secretary seemed incapable of accomplishing those goals, and he wasn’t well-liked,” the source said. “When you combine incompetence with arrogance, it usually doesn’t end well.”

Feinberg had been gradually diverting responsibility for the major project away from Phelan, the New York Times reported. The secretary had also butted heads with Hung Cao, the undersecretary who is now set to replace him, officials told the outlet.

Phelan is leaving, effective immediately, and Cao will become acting secretary of the Navy, the Pentagon said Wednesday. No reason was given for his departure. “Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.” A senior administration official told The Post that Trump and Hegseth agreed it was time to replace Phelan. “President Trump and Secretary Hegseth agreed new leadership at the Navy is needed,” the official said.

The firing of US Navy Secretary John Phelan is the latest in a shakeup of the American military during the war on Iran, now in its eighth week. The Pentagon said Phelan would leave office immediately. Although the Pentagon gave no official reason for the dismissal, reports indicate the decision was linked to internal disputes, including tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Phelan’s removal is part of a broader pattern of dismissals and restructuring within the US military under President Donald Trump’s administration – including during the current war.

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,” said chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. “We wish him well in his future endeavours”. His firing comes at a critical moment, with US naval forces enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports and ships, and maintaining a heavy presence around the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas passes during peacetime.

The announcement was particularly shocking for its timing, with the Navy playing a critical role in stopping Iranian ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz. Thus far, US forces have redirected 31 vessels to return to port and have also boarded two ships.