- Tensions rise with Iran claiming vessel seizures in Hormuz Strait.
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced that US Navy Secretary John Phelan has stepped down from his post with immediate effect, marking the latest high-level departure from the Trump administration amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed in a social media post that Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will take over as acting secretary. No official reason was provided for Phelan’s sudden exit.
Phelan’s departure adds to a growing list of senior military officials who have left their roles in recent months. The development comes shortly after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Randy George to step down.
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Leadership Shake-Up Continues at Pentagon
In recent weeks, Gen David Hodne and Maj Gen William Green have also been removed from their positions. Since assuming office at the Pentagon, Hegseth has dismissed more than a dozen senior officers, including the chief of naval operations and the Air Force’s vice chief of staff.
In a brief statement, Parnell said the administration was “grateful” for Phelan’s service and wished him well, but did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding his departure.
The Navy secretary’s role is primarily administrative, involving oversight of policy, recruitment, training, budgeting and logistics, including the maintenance and construction of naval infrastructure.
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Exit Comes Amid Hormuz Crisis and Naval Blockade
The leadership change comes at a sensitive time, with the United States enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports during an ongoing ceasefire in the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Clashes have continued in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, with Iran claiming it has seized two vessels in the waterway. The strait remains vital for global oil supplies, intensifying international concern over disruptions.
Trump ‘Satisfied’ With Hormuz Blockade
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump remains “satisfied” with the blockade strategy and believes Iran is in a “very weak position”.
Meanwhile, Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said reopening the Strait of Hormuz was “not possible”, citing what he described as repeated violations of the ceasefire by the United States and Israel.
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