The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the Secretary of the Navy John Phelan would leave "immediately.”
It gave no reason for his sudden departure, the latest removal of a senior officer under President Donald Trump's combative Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth.
Under orders from Trump, the US Navy is attempting to block vessels heading to or from Iranian ports, seeking to ramp up pressure on the Iranian economy even without all-out war.
Iran's vow not to reopen the Strait of Hormuz -- so long as a US naval blockade remained in place -- was held into Thursday despite a ceasefire extension.
