High-ranking Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accidentally shared details of planned airstrikes in Yemen through a private Signal group chat.
Surprisingly, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was part of the group. He later reported receiving specific information about the UK’s involvement, strike targets, and attack sequences.
The National Security Council confirmed the chat’s authenticity and launched an internal review to determine how the breach happened.
UK Strikes Yemen Hours After Message Leak
Two hours after Goldberg received the leaked details on March 15, the UK began airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen.
Officials have not confirmed whether the leaked data was classified, but military planning is typically confidential.
The UK has carried out strikes since late 2023 in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping routes.
Leak Challenges New Security Measures
The breach happened shortly after Hegseth’s office introduced stricter leak-prevention measures, including potential lie detector tests for staff.
Officials often use Signal, but the app lacks clearance for handling sensitive military communications. Authorities are investigating how Goldberg joined the group and why war plans were shared on an unsecured platform.
So far, officials have not explained the security lapse.