Trump Issues Dire “Shoot And Kill” Order For Hormuz Strait After Replacing Navy Sec. Phelan
on Apr 23, 2026
Acting Sec. Of The Navy Hung Cao Has Big First Day As Trump Orders Navy To Destroy “Any Boat” Laying Mines In Hormuz Strait
In the evening of Wednesday, April 22, it was announced by the Department of War that U.S. Navy Sec. John Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately.”
While no reason was given for Phelan’s departure, it was noted that Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao, who gave over 30 years of service to the Navy prior to his retirement as a Navy Captain in 2021, was going to serve as Acting Navy Secretary.
STATEMENT:
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) April 22, 2026
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately.
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.
We wish…
Fox News reports that Phelan was fired by Sec. of War Pete Hegseth, but this development remains shrouded in secrecy.
Regardless, the timing of Phelan’s exit and Cao’s rise within the civilian ranks of the Navy is of interest, as President Donald Trump has been pointed in his language regarding the Navy on Truth Social on Thursday, April 23.
“I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be (Their naval ships are ALL, 159 of them, at the bottom of the sea!), that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote, adding, “There is to be no hesitation.”
This order comes one day after the ceasefire between the United States and Iran was set to end, with Trump extending the two-week ceasefire by another two weeks.
See Trump’s order to “shoot and kill,” here:
Ceasefire Tentatively Maintained As Trump Seeks “Unified” Deal With Iranians
The extension to the ceasefire comes as Trump threatens to resume bombing of Iran, with all forces on standby.
Speaking with the press outside of the White House on April 22, White House Press Sec, Karoline Leavitt said, “As you all saw yesterday, President Trump announced an extension of this ceasefire. He is maintaining and generously offering a bit of flexibility to a regime who has been completely tarnished because of Operation Epic Fury.”
Leavitt stated the president wants a “unified response” from Iran, with two factions of leaders being described as “pragmatists” and “hardliners.”
“Ultimately, the timeline [for peace] will be dictated by the commander-in-chief,” she stated.
Today, the Department of War released footage of U.S. forces intercepting and then boarding a ship transporting oil from Iran. This is a continuation of “Operation Economic Fury,” which has seen a blockade of U.S. Naval ships determine what comes and goes from out of the Hormuz Strait of Iran.
Watch the U.S. troops board a vessel transporting oil from Iran, here:
Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 23, 2026
We will continue global maritime enforcement to… pic.twitter.com/SWF6Jt9Ci4
This is a developing story.
Watch Karoline Leavitt take questions regarding the latest in Iran, here:
