U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed Navy Secretary John Phelan after a prolonged conflict within the Pentagon’s leadership, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The decision was announced by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, who said the department’s leadership thanked Phelan for his service. Deputy Secretary Hung Cao has been appointed acting secretary.
According to sources, the main trigger was a dispute over the pace of shipbuilding programs. Pentagon officials believed Phelan was not moving quickly enough to advance Donald Trump’s priorities. The president backed the decision to replace the department’s leadership.
Phelan was informed of the impending dismissal by phone shortly before the official statement was released. Earlier that same day, he had appeared before Congress, where the Navy’s budget was under discussion.
Relations between the two sides had remained strained. According to the report, Phelan dealt directly with Trump on Navy matters, a practice that irritated the Defense Department’s leadership.
The personnel shake-up comes as the United States continues its operation in the Middle East. American forces are maintaining a naval blockade of Iranian ports, with more than 15 warships deployed in the region.