U.S. Secretary of the Navy resigns abruptly as defense leadership sees a chain of changes amid war

[The Financial News, New York = Reporter Lee Byung-chul] The top U.S. Navy official has been replaced abruptly. As the war with Iran has entered an unstable ceasefire phase, a series of sudden resignations among key defense officials has raised concerns about the stability of the military command structure.
On the 22nd local time, foreign media including The New York Times (NYT) reported that U. S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan had stepped down.
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) announced the resignation immediately, without offering a separate explanation. This is the first case of a military service chief leaving office since the launch of President Donald Trump's second administration. It is also being seen as part of the recent wave of changes in defense leadership.
The timing is especially sensitive. The U. S.
Navy is currently leading the blockade of Iranian ports and carrying out operations targeting Iran-linked vessels around the world. Phelan's resignation comes amid a broader reshuffle at the Pentagon. Defense minister Pete Hegseth dismissed Army Chief of Staff Randy George just weeks ago, and has replaced several senior military officials, including generals and admirals, since taking office.
Inside and outside the military, there are concerns that continued changes in the command structure during wartime could burden operational continuity and strategic consistency. There were few signs in advance that this resignation was coming. Until the day before the announcement, Phelan attended the Navy's Annual Naval Conference in Washington, D.
C. , where he delivered remarks to service members and industry officials and also discussed policy direction with reporters. However, NYT reported that over the past several months, Phelan's leadership had been weakened by clashes with Hegseth, Vice Minister Stephen Feinberg, and lawmakers.
Phelan's appointment had been controversial from the start. He took the post despite having no military service experience or prior career inside the Navy. He is known as a major supporter of Trump and came from the financial sector, where he founded Rugger Management.His military-related experience had been limited to advisory work for nonprofit organizations. NYT said that because the secretary of the Navy's duties are not directly tied to commanding U.S. naval forces deployed to war zones, the resignation is unlikely to disrupt the war with Iran or ongoing operations in the Strait of Hormuz.However, it added that the leadership shake-up could make it harder to replenish Tomahawk cruise missiles and advanced air defense systems. The DoD said that Vice Minister Hung Cao will serve as acting secretary of the Navy.Cao is a Vietnam-born former refugee who graduated from the United States Naval Academy (USNA) and retired as a colonel after 25 years of military service. He has experience serving in various combat zones, but he also has a political background, having run as the Republican Party candidate in Virginia's 2024 Senate election and lost.At the time, he had Donald Trump's backing. \r\n U.
S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.
pride@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter