US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has denied reports by The Atlantic regarding the sharing of secret military plans for operations against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Upon arriving at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam in Oahu on March 24, Hegseth told journalists that "no one texted war plans" and criticized the involved journalist as "deceptive," accusing him of repeatedly spreading hoaxes.
The issue stems from a report published by The Atlantic. According to the report, senior officials in the Trump administration accidentally disclosed military plans in a messaging group that included a journalist, shortly before the United States launched airstrikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen. Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, said he was unexpectedly invited on March 13 to an encrypted chat group on the Signal messaging app called "Houthi PC small group."
In this group, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz tasked his deputy Alex Wong with setting up a "tiger team" to coordinate US actions against the Houthis. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes confirmed that the group appeared to be legitimate.
According to Goldberg, hours before the United States began large-scale airstrikes against the Houthis on March 15 in response to their attacks on Red Sea shipping, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared operational details about the plan in the group, including information about targets, weapons the US would deploy, and attack sequencing. Although Goldberg omitted these details, he described the use of the Signal chat as "shockingly reckless."
Hegseth denied the allegations of sharing military plans and accused Goldberg of fabricating the information, claiming the journalist had spread numerous hoaxes in the past.
The incident has raised serious concerns about national security. Several lawmakers have condemned the leak as a serious security threat, warning that it could jeopardize the safety of US military personnel. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for an investigation into the matter, cautioning that such leaks could endanger US military personnel. Other political figures, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed concerns that the leak could have serious consequences for US military operations.
President Donald Trump distanced himself from the situation, stating that he was unaware of the leak and the details surrounding it. Investigations are ongoing, and questions remain about the potential impact of this leak on US military operations.
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