The US Department of War on Wednesday (local time) announced that Secretary of the Navy John C Phelan is stepping down with immediate effect, with Hung Cao set to take over as Acting Secretary of the Navy.
The development was confirmed by Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who thanked Phelan for his service and said the administration wishes him well in his future endeavours.
In a post on X, Parnell wrote, “Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately. 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.”
“We wish him well in his future endeavors. Undersecretary Hung Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy,” the post read.
John Phelan’s sudden exit comes at a time when the Navy is playing a central role in enforcing a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—one of its largest missions in decades.
He is just the latest senior figure to leave the Pentagon since the Iran war began.
Earlier this month, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff General Randy George to step down.
Trump had nominated Phelan, a businessman and campaign donor, ahead of his second inauguration. Phelan was also involved in steering a significant modernisation push across U.S. shipbuilders, as the administration aims to secure tens of billions of dollars in fresh funding to expand the Navy, according to a report by Bloomberg.
(This is a developing story…check back later for updates)
