National security officials under President Donald Trump, including the Secretary of Defence, engaged in a group chat on the Signal messaging app to discuss military operations in Yemen. According to a report by The Atlantic, which surfaced online on Monday, this communication included sensitive details regarding planned strikes against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The National Security Council confirmed that the authenticity of the text chain is plausible.
Editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg revealed that the exchanged messages contained operational specifics, such as targets, weapons to be used, and the sequence of attacks. It remains uncertain whether this information is classified, but typically such operational details are kept under strict security measures to ensure the safety of military personnel and maintain operational integrity.
Since November 2023, the US has been executing airstrikes against Houthi forces following the group’s attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. Notably, just two hours after receiving the operation details on March 15, the US commenced a series of airstrikes on Houthi positions.
The National Security Council has initiated an inquiry into how a journalist gained access to the chat group. Although government officials have been using Signal for official discussions, the app is not designed for classified conversations and could be susceptible to hacking.
This information leak occurs concurrently with the Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office implementing measures to combat the leaking of sensitive information. This crackdown may potentially involve the use of polygraphs on military personnel to ascertain how they communicate details to journalists. Hegseth’s office has not yet provided commentary regarding the presence of operational plans on an unclassified platform.