23.04.2026 08:32
A notable dismissal occurred following Iran's seizure of 2 ships and attack on 3 ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Department of Defense announced that Navy Secretary John Phelan has left his position. This duty will be carried out on an interim basis by Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced that Navy Secretary John Phelan has left his position. While the reason for the departure was not disclosed, the change in duty coincided with a period of increasing geopolitical tension in the region.
"IMMEDIATELY EFFECTIVE" Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell stated in an announcement from his social media account that Phelan's decision to leave his post was effective immediately. Parnell announced that Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will assume the role of acting Navy Secretary. No detailed justification regarding Phelan's resignation was shared, neither from himself nor from the Pentagon.
John Phelan THE HIGHEST-LEVEL CIVILIAN AUTHORITY IN THE NAVY In the U.S., the Navy Secretary serves as the highest-level civilian authority in the Navy, reporting to the Secretary of Defense. This position covers a broad range of responsibilities from the Navy's strategic planning to budget management and plays a critical role in budget processes conducted with Congress.
Phelan was appointed to this position in March 2025 and had drawn attention as a civilian figure with no prior military background. Hung Cao, appointed as his acting replacement, stands out as a figure with a 25-year naval career. Cao had run for the Senate in Virginia in 2024 with Donald Trump's support but lost the election.
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CONSECUTIVE CHANGES IN SENIOR MILITARY POSITIONS Phelan's departure became the latest link in the chain of increasing high-level duty changes in the U.S. recently. Since U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took office in January 2025, more than 10 senior military officials, including the Chief of Naval Operations and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, have been removed from their posts. It is also known that Hegseth requested the resignation of Army Chief of Staff Randy George. Lieutenant General David Hodne and Major General William Green were also among those removed.
A DEPARTURE IN THE SHADOW OF TENSION The change in duty occurred during a period when the ceasefire declared after the process that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28th continues, but tension on the ground persists. While President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire declared on April 8th, he announced that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports would continue.
Tension remains high in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran announced that it had seized two ships in the region, and the risk of conflict continues in this strategic passage, through which a significant portion of global oil shipments pass. White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump is satisfied with the current blockade and that Iran "understands it is in a weak position."
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf argued that the U.S. and Israel violated the ceasefire, saying that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is not possible.