US dismisses Navy secretary John Phelan

ALBAWABA - A U.S. official and a source reported Wednesday that Navy Secretary John Phelan had been dismissed from his post, marking another wartime shake-up at the Pentagon just weeks after Secretary Pete Higseth fired the Army's top general.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced Phelan's departure in a brief statement, saying he was "leaving the department effective immediately," but did not give a reason or clarify whether Phelan had made the decision to leave or whether he was fired, Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The two sources, who asked not to be identified, said that among the reasons for Phelan's dismissal were the extreme slowness in implementing reforms aimed at accelerating shipbuilding, and a disagreement with senior leadership at the Pentagon.

^{Secretary of the U.S. Navy John Phelan listens during a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on February 27, 2025. Photo by ANNA MONEYMAKER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP}

One of the sources pointed to poor relations with Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg, as well as with the Navy's second-in-command, Hong Kao, whom the Pentagon said would now serve as acting Navy secretary.

On April 2, Higseth dismissed Army Chief of Staff Randy George without giving a reason. Two U.S. officials said the decision was linked to tensions between Higseth and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.