Hegseth fires Secretary of Navy amid Trump’s ongoing strife with Iran as another high-level official departs

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the US Secretary of the Navy from his post amid Donald Trump’s ongoing war with Iran around the Strait of Hormuz.

John C. Phelan resigned from his top military post Wednesday afternoon as Trump’s war with Tehran over the critical trade waterway continues.

Undersecretary of the Navy Hung Cao will be the acting secretary of the Navy.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Phelan was fired after fighting with Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg.

Phelan’s departure from his position as Navy chief is just the latest in a series of resignations that have plagued the Trump administration at a critical time for the president.

The resignation came just weeks after the Army’s highest-ranking officer, Gen. Randy George, was told to resign and retire immediately.

Trump and the Navy’s presence in the Bosphorus has increased in recent weeks in an attempt to increase pressure on Iran and restrict the country’s ability to profit from its oil exports.

Just two days ago, the US Navy attacked and captured an Iranian cargo ship trying to bypass Trump’s blockade in the Bosphorus.

More than 3,000 ships usually pass through the Strait of Hormuz, connecting the world through the trade route. But during the ongoing US-Iran conflict, that number has dropped to just a handful of ships per day.

A spokesman for United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said: ‘Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is leaving the administration with immediate effect.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gave updates on ongoing military operations against Iran at a press conference about the Iran war at the Pentagon on March 19.

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 22, 2026

‘On behalf of the Secretary of War and the Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy.

‘We wish him success in his future life. Undersecretary Hung Cao will be Acting Secretary of the Navy.’

Although Gen. Randy George, who was relieved of duty on April 2, was not a field commander directing tactical attacks, he was a four-star general and the 41st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff responsible for organizing, training and equipping more than a million troops.

It became clear that it conflicted with his administration’s vision for the Army.

Hegseth purged more than a dozen senior officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

On April 17, the U.S. Navy began blockading all ships attempting to leave or enter Iranian ports or the Iranian coastline, including the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

The blockade began when US negotiators failed to broker a peace deal with Iran on April 12 and JD Vance returned from Islamabad empty-handed.

Gen. Randy George attends the Heroes ceremony for Medal of Honor recipient retired Army Capt. Larry L. Taylor at Conmy Hall, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Arlington, Virginia, United States, September 6, 2023

An E-2D Advanced Hawkeye prepares to launch from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during Operation Epic Fury

Iran has doubled down on its pledge to restrict ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports continues.

For Iran, the strait closure, implemented after the United States and Israel launched a war on February 28 to suppress Tehran’s nuclear program, is perhaps its most powerful weapon, threatening the world economy and causing political pain to Trump.

For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weak economy and puts pressure on the government by hindering its long-term cash flow.