The Atlantic Publishes Hegseth’s Signal Chat on Houthi Strikes

On Wednesday, The Atlantic published the full Signal chat involving U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which revealed specific details about upcoming U.S. military strikes against Yemen’s Houthis. The chat contained precise timings of warplane launches and bomb drops before the missions were carried out. The disclosure raises concerns over operational security, as U.S. officials typically consider such information classified.

The publication followed two days of intense scrutiny as officials from President Donald Trump’s intelligence and defense agencies struggled to explain how classified details appeared in an unclassified Signal chat that included The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that classified information was posted in the chat.

U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern, with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Jack Reed planning to request an investigation into the use of Signal for such sensitive information. They also seek a classified briefing to better understand the situation.

A notable omission from the chat was the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Christopher Grady, who was not included despite the military nature of the conversation. The White House had previously delegated the decision on who should attend to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

The details shared in the Signal chat were strikingly specific, with Hegseth posting updates on when F-18s, drones, and Tomahawk missiles would launch during the strikes. He provided exact times for the attacks and assured the group that operational security (OPSEC) was "clean."

Despite the revealing nature of the messages, Hegseth’s spokesperson insisted that no classified information was disclosed, claiming the secretary was simply providing updates on an ongoing plan. However, The Atlantic had repeatedly sought clarification from the White House before publishing, with Goldberg reporting that the White House expressed concerns about the sensitivity of some information.

Signal, although encrypted, is not approved for transmitting classified materials, and its vulnerability to hacking—especially by foreign actors like Russia—was a concern raised by the Pentagon earlier this month. U.S. officials have warned that malicious actors could potentially monitor Signal messages remotely, compromising sensitive communications.