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Pentagon report reveals security breach in Yemen operation planning
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth may have compromised military safety by discussing a classified Yemen strike on an unsecured messaging app, according to a Pentagon inspector general investigation. The findings, shared with Congress on Tuesday, highlight potential risks to service members after details of the March operation were shared via Signal.
How the leak unfolded
Hegseth used his personal device to share information from a classified report labeled "SECRET//NOFORN"-indicating its sensitivity and restriction from foreign nationals-in a Signal group chat. The breach came to light after a journalist was accidentally added to the conversation, later revealed by The Atlantic.
The chat included specifics about target locations, attack timings, and weaponry planned for use against Houthi militants. While the Trump administration denies the information was classified, the inspector general did not confirm whether Hegseth had formally declassified it before sharing.
Potential consequences
Sources familiar with the classified report told CBS News that intercepted communications could have endangered US personnel and the mission. The inspector general concluded Hegseth violated Pentagon policy by using an unsecured app and personal device for sensitive discussions.
"If adversaries had accessed these details, American lives and operational security would have been at risk," said an unnamed official briefed on the findings.
Defence secretary's response
Hegseth dismissed the report on X (formerly Twitter), claiming "total exoneration" and stating, "No classified information. Case closed. Houthis bombed into submission." His post mirrored former President Donald Trump's signature sign-offs, ending with, "Thank you for your attention to this IG report."
A Pentagon spokesperson echoed Hegseth's defense, asserting the report proved "no classified information was shared." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly stated that operational security remained intact.
Calls for resignation
Senator Mark Warner, the Democratic chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, demanded Hegseth's resignation, citing a "broader pattern of recklessness." In a statement, Warner accused Hegseth of endangering pilots and noted his history of using Signal for other unsecured chats.
"This was not an isolated lapse. It reflects poor judgment from a secretary who has repeatedly shown he is in over his head,"
Senator Mark Warner
Broader scrutiny
The investigation was initiated by the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee. Hegseth, who oversees over 1 million service members, declined to be interviewed by the inspector general, submitting a written statement instead.
His leadership has faced additional criticism for a recent US airstrike on a boat suspected of drug trafficking. Hegseth denies ordering troops to "kill all" suspects and claims he was unaware of civilian casualties in a follow-up strike.
