Security breach results in leak of U.S. officials' Yemen strike plans
A U.S. journalist was unintentionally added to a group chat where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and other high-ranking officials deliberated on planned military actions against Yemen's Houthi rebels, as confirmed by the White House on Monday.
TroibNews 
A U.S. journalist was unintentionally added to a group chat where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and other high-ranking officials discussed planned strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels, as confirmed by the White House on Monday.
President Donald Trump announced the strikes on March 15. However, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed that he received hours of advance notice about the operations through the Signal group chat, leading to concerns over a significant security breach.
"The message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain," said National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes.
After previously stating he did not "know anything about" the situation, the White House emphasized that Trump "continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team."
Hegseth, a former Fox News host lacking experience in managing a large organization like the Pentagon, did not take responsibility for the leak during his remarks to reporters on Monday. Instead, he criticized Goldberg, insisting that "nobody was texting war plans," even with the White House acknowledging the breach.
Goldberg noted that Hegseth relayed information about the strikes, including "targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing," in the group chat.
"According to the lengthy Hegseth text, the first detonations in Yemen would be felt two hours hence, at 1:45 pm eastern time," Goldberg reported, a timeline that was confirmed by events on the ground in Yemen.
The leak could have posed significant risks if Goldberg had divulged the operation's details publicly, but he chose not to do so, even after the fact.
Goldberg mentioned that he was added to the group chat two days prior and received communications from other senior officials assigning representatives to address the situation.
While addressing reporters on Monday, Hegseth sidestepped inquiries concerning the leak, where sensitive information was shared not only with a journalist but also via a commercial app instead of secure military channels meant for such discussions.
The security breach sparked outrage among Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer labeled it "one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time" and called for a thorough investigation.
Senator Jack Reed criticized the leak, stating: "The carelessness shown by President Trump's cabinet is stunning and dangerous."
Additionally, Hillary Clinton, who faced repeated criticism from Trump for using a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State, shared the Atlantic article on X, commenting, "You have got to be kidding me."
Sanya Singh for TROIB News
President Donald Trump announced the strikes on March 15. However, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed that he received hours of advance notice about the operations through the Signal group chat, leading to concerns over a significant security breach.
"The message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain," said National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes.
After previously stating he did not "know anything about" the situation, the White House emphasized that Trump "continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team."
Hegseth, a former Fox News host lacking experience in managing a large organization like the Pentagon, did not take responsibility for the leak during his remarks to reporters on Monday. Instead, he criticized Goldberg, insisting that "nobody was texting war plans," even with the White House acknowledging the breach.
Goldberg noted that Hegseth relayed information about the strikes, including "targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing," in the group chat.
"According to the lengthy Hegseth text, the first detonations in Yemen would be felt two hours hence, at 1:45 pm eastern time," Goldberg reported, a timeline that was confirmed by events on the ground in Yemen.
The leak could have posed significant risks if Goldberg had divulged the operation's details publicly, but he chose not to do so, even after the fact.
Goldberg mentioned that he was added to the group chat two days prior and received communications from other senior officials assigning representatives to address the situation.
While addressing reporters on Monday, Hegseth sidestepped inquiries concerning the leak, where sensitive information was shared not only with a journalist but also via a commercial app instead of secure military channels meant for such discussions.
The security breach sparked outrage among Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer labeled it "one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time" and called for a thorough investigation.
Senator Jack Reed criticized the leak, stating: "The carelessness shown by President Trump's cabinet is stunning and dangerous."
Additionally, Hillary Clinton, who faced repeated criticism from Trump for using a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State, shared the Atlantic article on X, commenting, "You have got to be kidding me."
Sanya Singh for TROIB News
