Navy Secretary Phelan Removed, Replaced by Cao Amid Active Arabian Sea Blockade

President Trump removed John Phelan as Secretary of the Navy and replaced him with Cao, representing a significant leadership change at the Pentagon occurring while the US Navy is actively enforcing the Arabian Sea blockade against Iran. The shake-up adds new command dynamics to an already complex operational environment, with Navy vessels simultaneously managing the blockade, the seizure of Iranian-flagged ships, and responding to the IRGC's April 22 seizure of two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Phelan had overseen Navy operations since the start of Trump's second term; the transition to Cao marks a mid-conflict shift in naval civilian leadership.