US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared sensitive details about a March airstrike on Yemen’s Houthi militants in a private Signal messaging group that included his wife and brother, according to The New York Times.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is under scrutiny after reportedly sharing sensitive information about a US airstrike in Yemen in a private Signal messaging group that included his wife and brother, The New York Times reported. The disclosure has triggered a Pentagon investigation and fresh calls for his dismissal from senior lawmakers.
The group, called “Defence Team Huddle,” had 13 members and included Hegseth’s wife Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, and his brother Phil, a senior adviser at the Pentagon. According to the report, Hegseth shared details of a March strike targeting Yemen’s Houthi militants, including the timing of US warplane launches. Such operational details are considered classified.
A similar message had also been shared in a separate Signal chat involving top Trump administration officials, raising broader concerns about the handling of sensitive military information.
Use of unapproved platform
Signal, while encrypted, is not an approved platform for the transmission of classified or operational defence information. Critics argue that sharing real-time strike details, even with senior aides or family members, could have endangered US pilots and compromised the mission.
While the White House dismissed the matter as a “non-story,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Hegseth should be removed from his post. The Senate Armed Services Committee has asked the Defence Department’s acting inspector general to investigate the incident.
Probe widens amid resignations and removals
The controversy has grown following reports that four officials close to Hegseth were escorted out of the Pentagon in recent days. Among them is Dan Caldwell, reportedly the liaison for the original Signal chat involving Trump-era officials. Another former Pentagon spokesman resigned last week, though officials have said his departure was unrelated to the leak inquiry.
Hegseth has denied sharing classified information, insisting that his messages did not compromise national security. However, the inclusion of strike timelines and the use of an informal channel have raised bipartisan concerns over protocol breaches.
The investigation is ongoing and could have broader implications for the handling of sensitive defence operations within the current administration.
(Based on AP inputs)
