In a phone interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, Trump said he was under “no time pressure” for holding a new round of talks and “no timeline” for ending the war, and denied the current ceasefire was only for a three-to-five-day window.

In an appearance on Fox an hour and a half later, Leavitt told MacCallum Iran’s seizure of two ships in the Persian Gulf was of little concern to the U.S. “These were not U.S. ships. These were not Israeli ships. These were two international vessels.”

OPERATION ‘ECONOMIC’ FURY: Leavitt said Trump’s laid-back attitude is a reflection of the fact that the war has moved into a new phase of economic warfare, where he holds all the cards. “While there’s a ceasefire with respect to the military and kinetic strikes, ‘Operation Economic Fury’ continues,” she said on Fox. “We are choking their economy.”

“They can’t pay their own people. They’re losing $500 million every single day. Kharg Island is completely full of oil because they can’t transport it to and from. So, the president, the cards are in his hands. The United States maintains control over the situation,” Leavitt said, while arguing Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz.

“They don’t have control over the strait,” she said. “These two ships were taken by speedy gunboats. Iran has gone from having the most lethal navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates.”

On CNN last night, former U.S. Special Operations Commander retired Adm. Willian McRaven said the U.S. military takes the threat from Iran’s so-called “mosquito fleet” seriously. “This is a leverage point the Iranians have.”

“Make no mistake about it, they still can control the Straits of Hormuz,” McRaven said. “These fast-attack boats they have — whether they’re the Boston Whalers or whether they’re the cigarette boats — they have the ability to control the Straits, and they have the ability to put our vessels at risk, with drones, with short-range ballistic missiles.”

WHO’S IN CHARGE? The latest assessment from the Institute for the Study of War says it appeared Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, is the one who is calling the shots in the Persian Gulf.

“The IRGC has also used its ‘control’ over the strait as a means for Vahidi to flex his own power over internal rivals, such as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf,” the ISW said. “Vahidi and his inner circle recently used the IRGC’s leverage … to exercise influence over Iran’s negotiating position.”

“The IRGC has demanded that the United States lift its blockade over the Strait of Hormuz and effectively halted traffic through the strait on April 18 by attacking several vessels,” the ISW assessed, with the aim of raising international shipping prices to extract concessions from the U.S., including ending the blockade.

“The United States maintains control over the situation,” Leavitt said on Fox, insisting Trump “has all of the leverage.”

“That’s why he’s maintained a little bit of flexibility with the extension of the ceasefire, as we await a unified response from the Iranians to the president’s very clear proposal.”

EYES ON IRAN’S ‘FRACTURED’ LEADERSHIP AS NEGOTIATIONS STALL

Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. 

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HAPPENING TODAY: UKRAINE GETS ITS MONEY: As Ukraine moves to completely wean itself from any reliance on the United States, it got some hopeful news as the European Union voted to move ahead with a long-delayed €90 billion loan, after Hungary dropped its opposition.

“Implementation of our agreement with the European Union to unblock a €90 billion support package for Ukraine over two years is now effectively underway, as well as a new sanctions package against Russia,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X. “Russia must end its war. And the incentives for that can arise only when both support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia are sufficient.”

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Zelensky said the funds can’t come too soon. “God bless, we will have it. …This is not only strengthening our armies, also how to defend all the energy objects we need to prepare for the next winter.”

“We need this money very much,” Zelensky said, because while Ukraine’s capability to produce interceptor drones vital to its air defense has increased greatly, the funding to pay manufacturers has not kept up.

“We are producing about, around a little bit less than 1,000 of drones and interceptors,” Zelensky said. “But we can produce 2,000 … So, it’s really the question of our life, of the surviving, of defending.”

UKRAINE REOPENS RUSSIAN OIL PIPELINE AS HUNGARY WITHDRAWS VETO ON $105 BILLION LOAN FOR KYIV

NAVY SECRETARY SACKED: Another day at the Pentagon, another unceremonious firing with no explanation given.

“Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted on X. “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 him well in his future endeavors,” Parnell added, which in this administration is the equivalent of “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Reports indicate that the firing came after tension between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Phelan about the pace of the Navy’s shipbuilding program, including Trump’s so-called “Golden Fleet.” 

The Wall Street Journal reported that Pentagon officials told congressional aides the decision to fire Phelan was made by Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, who felt “the Navy secretary wasn’t moving quickly enough on President Trump’s shipbuilding priorities.”

“Tensions had been simmering for months between Mr. Phelan and his two bosses — Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Feinberg — over management style, personnel issues, and other matters,” The New York Times reported. 

Phelan, who had no military background, will be replaced on an acting basis by Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao, who came to the U.S. in 1975 after the fall of Saigon, graduated from the U.S Naval Academy, and became a vice president at CACI International. 

The secretary is the top civilian position in the Navy and, along with the Chief of Naval Operations, is responsible for the training and equipping of the force. The civilian boss has no operational responsibilities, so the change will not affect the current mission in the Persian Gulf.

JOHN PHELAN OUT AS NAVY SECRETARY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

THE RUNDOWN: 

Washington Examiner: Eyes on Iran’s ‘fractured’ leadership as negotiations stall

Washington Examiner: Ukraine reopens Russian oil pipeline as Hungary withdraws veto on $105 billion loan for Kyiv

Washington Examiner: Ukraine pitches ‘Donnyland’ name to Donbas in plea to boost Trump support

Washington Examiner: John Phelan out as Navy secretary effective immediately

Washington Examiner: Sheinbaum threatens sanctions against Chihuahua state over dead American officials

Washington Examiner: Appeals court blocks California law barring immigration officers from wearing masks

Washington Examiner: DC pipe bomb suspect pleads not guilty to terrorism and WMD charges

Washington Examiner: House Democrats demand answers about Kash Patel’s behavior with alcohol abuse survey

AP: More confusion looms over Strait of Hormuz after Iran attacks three ships near waterway

New York Times: A New Era and New Leadership: The Generals Who Are Running Iran

Washington Post: Clearing mines from Strait of Hormuz could take 6 months, Pentagon tells Congress

Reuters: Trump says eight Iranian women won’t be executed, Iran disputes entire account

Wall Street Journal: Air War in Iran Gives Way to Crippling Stalemate in Hormuz

Wall Street Journal: How U.S. Ship Boardings Have Kicked Off a New Phase of the Iran War

AP: A look at China’s behind-the-scenes role in Iran war diplomacy

Defense News: Germany Unveils Strategy for Becoming Europe’s Strongest Military by 2039

AP: Senate passes budget plan for ICE and Border Patrol in bid to reopen Homeland Security

New York Times: Trump’s Nominee to Lead Cyber Agency Withdraws After Languishing in Senate

Breaking Defense: FY27 Budget Request Negates Need for INDOPACOM Spending Wishlist: Commander

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon Zeroes Out E-7 in Budget, Leaving Its Future Uncertain

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pass-Through and Classified Spending: What’s Hidden in the ’27 Budget

DefenseScoop: SOUTHCOM Creates New Autonomous Warfare Command to Build Up Its Drone Prowess

Task & Purpose: Air Force Wants to Use Lasers to Help Protect Rescue Helicopters After Iran Mission

Air & Space Forces Magazine: White House Picks Raytheon Exec to Lead Space Force Acquisition

The War Zone: New Low-Cost Cruise Missile Features Tomahawk-Like Range

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Sets Up Office to Coordinate Cislunar Programs

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Northrop Delivers New Jam-Resistant Navigation System for F-22

Military.com: Troops, Families Need to Plan for Higher Prices When PCSing in 2026

THE CALENDAR: 

THURSDAY | APRIL 23

9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The posture of the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2027 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, U.S. Central Command; and Air Force Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

9:30 a.m. — Defense Security Cooperation Agency and Defense Security Cooperation University “Defense Security Cooperation Agency Industry Day” https://dscuevaluations.gov1.qualtrics.com

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security launches a new report: “Hit It With Your Best Shot: An American Doctrine of Economic Pressure,” with author Emily Kilcrease, senior fellow and CNAS program director; Eva Dou, author of House of Huawei; Richard Nephew, senior research scholar at Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy; and Air Force Lt. Col. Mary Hossier, CNAS senior military fellow https://events.cnas.org/hititwithyourbestshotvirtual

10 a.m. — Forecast International virtual discussion: “AI on the Battlefield: From Data to Decision Superiority,” with Roy Ionas, founder, LeadSpotting; Andrew Dardine, lead analyst for military electronics, Forecast International; Vincent Carchidi, industry analyst at Forecast International https://www.linkedin.com/events/aiindefense-wartime-special

3 p.m. — Jewish Institute for National Security of America webinar: “After the Ceasefire: What’s Next for Iran?” with retired Israeli Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror, former national security adviser to Israel’s prime minister; Eric Edelman, former U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy and JINSA distinguished scholar; and Blaise Misztal, JINSA vice president for policy https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

4 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs Institute for Korean Studies discussion: “The U.S.-ROK Alliance in a Multipolar Era: The Role of Congress,” with Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/the-us-rok-alliance

FRIDAY | APRIL 24 

8 a.m. — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs virtual conference: “Global Turmoil and Wartime in Ukraine” https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/global-turmoil-and-wartime-ukraine

10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Nuclear Deterrence Without Full Scale Nuclear Testing: Stockpile Stewardship, Confidence, and Risk,” with George Miller, director emeritus at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/nuclear-deterrence-without-full-scale-nuclear-testing