Yemen war plans: Top national security officials for US President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary, shared war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen via a secure messaging app. The group chat reportedly included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, the magazine reported in a story posted online on Monday. The National Security Council has stated that the text chain "appears to be authentic."
Trump initially told reporters he was not aware that the highly sensitive information had been shared, two-and-a-half hours after it was reported. He later appeared to joke about the breach.
What were US war plans shared with journalist?
The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, reported that the text chain "contained operational details of upcoming US strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. It included target locations, weapons to be used, and attack sequencing."
It was not immediately clear if the specifics of the military operation were classified, but they often are and at the least are kept secure to protect service members and operational security.
The US has been conducting airstrikes against the Houthis since November 2023, following their attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. Notably, just two hours after Goldberg received the attack details on March 15, the US launched a series of airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
What did National Security Council say?
The National Security Council stated that it is investigating how a journalist's number was added to the Signal group chat. The chat included key officials from Trump's administration, such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Goldberg said he received the Signal invitation from Mike Waltz, Trump's national security advisor, who was also part of the chat.
Hegseth in his first comments on the matter attacked Goldberg as “deceitful” and a “discredited so-called journalist” without offering further explanation. He did not shed light on why Signal was being used to discuss the sensitive operation or how Goldberg ended up on the message chain.
"Nobody was texting war plans and that's all I have to say about that," Hegseth said in an exchange with reporters after landing in Hawaii on Monday as he makes his way to the Asia Pacific on his first overseas travel as defense secretary.
In a statement late on Monday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the president still has the "utmost confidence" in Waltz and the national security team.
What did Trump say?
Earlier on Monday, Trump told reporters, "I don't know anything about it. You're telling me about it for the first time." He added that The Atlantic was "not much of a magazine."
By early evening, the president jokingly brushed it aside. He amplified a social media posting from Elon Musk spotlighting a conservative satirical news site article with the cutting headline: "4D Chess: Genius Trump Leaks War Plans to The Atlantic Where No One Will Ever See Them".
Government officials have used Signal for organisational correspondence, but it is not classified and can be hacked. Privacy and tech experts say the popular end-to-end encrypted messaging and voice call app is more secure than conventional texting.
The sharing of sensitive information comes as Hegseth's office has just announced a crackdown on leaks of sensitive information, including the potential use of polygraphs on defence personnel to determine how reporters have received information.
(With AP inputs)
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