Hegseth could have endangered troop safety with Signal chat - Pentagon watchdog

December 4, 2025

The Pentagon's inspector general found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth potentially compromised troop safety by discussing a planned military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen through the unsecured Signal messaging app on his personal device. The security breach came to light when a journalist was accidentally added to the group chat, revealing specific operational details including targets, timing, and weapons systems that originated from classified SECRET/NOFORN materials. While the inspector general concluded Hegseth violated Pentagon policy by using unsecured communications for sensitive information, the report did not definitively determine whether he had declassified the information beforehand, which he has authority to do.

Who is affected

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
US military service members and pilots involved in the Yemen operation
Houthi fighters targeted in the Yemen attack
Mike Waltz (then-National Security Adviser)
The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief (accidentally added to the chat)
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee
Senator Mark Warner (top Democrat on Senate Intelligence Committee)
President Donald Trump's administration
The Pentagon and its over 1 million service members

What action is being taken

The inspector general's office is providing a classified report to Congress and preparing a public version for release later this week
Senator Mark Warner is calling for Hegseth's resignation
The Trump administration and Pentagon are defending Hegseth and claiming exoneration

Why it matters

This incident raises serious national security concerns about the handling of sensitive military operational information at the highest levels of the Defense Department. If foreign adversaries had intercepted the information about specific targets, timing, and weapons systems shared through an unsecured commercial app, US service members' lives and the mission's success could have been jeopardized. The case highlights potential gaps between official Pentagon security protocols and actual practices by senior leadership, and questions whether cabinet officials are properly safeguarding classified information in an era of digital communications. The incident also has broader political implications regarding accountability and competence of key national security officials.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC