Quill Lawrence

Southcom said it was on a known narco-trafficking route in the eastern Pacific.

The Trump administration says it is at war with drug cartels and that makes it legal to destroy these boats and kill the people on board without trial.

There have been more than 50 such strikes in the past eight months.

And in some instances, South Com has killed shipwreck survivors or simply left them to drown.

Critics say this is murder and violates military and maritime law.

Coast Guard data show that when boats are interdicted instead of being destroyed, they have evidence of drug trafficking about 75 percent of the time.

Quill Lawrence, NPR News.

At a news conference, Hegseth repeated President Trump's threat to destroy any Iranian small boats laying mines in the narrow strait, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil passes.

But since oil is globally traded, the blockade is driving up prices worldwide.

On Thursday, Trump said the U.S.

is using minesweepers in the region, but there are no known U.S.

minesweepers there.

Hegseth dodged a question about Pentagon estimates that it could take six months to clear the strait.

Quill Lawrence, NPR News.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that Phelan was departing the administration effective immediately.

There was no explanation for the abrupt end to Phelan's tenure just one year into the job.

The Iran war involves some of the Navy's most significant operations in decades, though the Navy secretary's job is more focused on training and equipping the force.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has taken an unusually active role in the recent firings of many general officers, including the Army's top general, over the wishes of the Army secretary.

Phelan had been a major donor to President Trump, but had no military experience before he was appointed.

Undersecretary of the Navy Hung Kau will now be acting secretary.