Navy Secretary John Phelan was fired on April 22, 2026 while a U.S. naval blockade of Iran was active. The New York Times reports his firing had no significant operational impact because Navy secretaries don't oversee deployed forces, and the blockade's command structure remains unchanged. The post implies the timing is suspicious without specifying what concern it raises—but context shows the firing was part of a broader defense shake-up unrelated to the blockade's operations.