US Defence Secretary shares classified Yemen strike plans in private chat

Washington: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly disclosed classified military plans concerning airstrikes on Yemen in a private Signal group chat with family members and close associates.

The incident, said to have occurred before the US launched airstrikes on Houthi rebel targets on March 15, has heightened concerns about the Trump official’s management of sensitive national security information.

As per The New York Times, Hegseth shared highly confidential details, including F/A-18 Hornet flight schedules, within a private group named “Defense | Team Huddle”. This group, created in January using his personal phone, reportedly included his wife, Jennifer Hegseth (a former Fox News producer), his brother, his personal lawyer, and about a dozen others from his inner circle.

The Times’ report follows an earlier revelation by The Atlantic, which exposed another Signal chat originally meant for senior national security officials. This group, created by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, mistakenly included Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg.

Both reports suggest that Pete Hegseth shared identical sensitive information in both Signal groups at roughly the same time.

The latest revelations have intensified scrutiny of Hegseth’s judgement and raised alarms about operational security at the highest levels of the Pentagon.

Critics contend that Pete Hegseth's decision to share top-secret military plans via an unclassified messaging platform, including non-government individuals, may have compromised operational security and breached established protocols.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer strongly criticised Hegseth's actions, demanding his immediate dismissal. On X, Schumer wrote, “We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk. But Trump is still too weak to fire him. Pete Hegseth must be fired.”

Despite growing backlash, the Pentagon has yet to issue an official statement, and the White House has remained silent on media enquiries regarding the matter.

(inputs from IANS)