With the Iran war, sparked by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, still underway, U.S. Navy Minister John Phelan abruptly resigned.
On the 22nd (local time), senior spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense Shawn Parnell said on X (formerly Twitter), "Minister Phelan is leaving the administration. This takes effect immediately."
He added, "On behalf of the Minister of War and the Vice Minister, we thank Minister Phelan for his service to the department and the U.S. Navy," and "we wish him well in his new challenges."
The resignation of a senior military official during wartime has drawn attention to the background. The Associated Press said Minister Phelan's resignation was "sudden," reporting that he stepped down just a day after delivering a speech to service members and industry experts at the Navy's annual conference in Washington, D.C., where he outlined upcoming priorities.
While the reason for the resignation is unknown, Minister Phelan was said to have been at odds with Minister of defense Pete Hegseth. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing senior officials at the Ministry of National Defense, reported that last fall Minister Phelan bypassed Minister Hegseth and directly pitched to President Donald Trump an idea to build a modern battleship, which displeased Minister Hegseth.