April 22, 2026

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan is leaving the Trump administration “effective immediately,” a spokesman for the Department of Defense said in a statement Wednesday.

The spokesman, Sean Parnell, did not provide an explanation for Phelan’s sudden departure. Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported later Wednesday that Phelan had been fired.

“On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy,” Parnell said in an X post. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

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https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/22/navy-secretary-john-phelan-iran-war.html