Washington: A Pentagon watchdog has concluded that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked exposing classified information by sharing details of a planned American strike in Yemen over the Signal messaging app, according to multiple media reports.
The review found that the information Hegseth circulated came from a US Central Command planning document marked Secret/NOFORN, indicating it was not to be disclosed to any foreign national. The watchdog determined that transmitting such operational details via a commercial messaging platform could have put US forces preparing for the strike at risk, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to sources cited in the reports, the inspector general concluded that Hegseth should not have used Signal for this purpose and recommended better training for senior Pentagon officials on handling sensitive information. An inspector general document reportedly underscored the need for stricter adherence to communication protocols when dealing with classified material.
Despite the findings, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the review amounted to a complete vindication of Hegseth, insisting that no classified information was actually disclosed and that the matter was closed. Hegseth has also retained his original classification authority, allowing him to independently declassify information, as noted by US media.
Reports say Hegseth shared detailed information on forthcoming March 15 strikes, including flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, in a private Signal group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer. On the same day, he is said to have passed additional operational details about imminent strikes in another Signal chat that included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Rauchet, a former Fox News producer, is not employed by the Defense Department, while his brother Phil and lawyer Tim Parlatore both hold positions at the Pentagon, according to US media reports. The episode triggered criticism of Hegseth’s use of a commercial encrypted app for sensitive conversations and led to the inspector general probe.
An unclassified version of the watchdog’s report is expected to be released publicly on Thursday, while a classified version has already been sent to the US Congress.
(Inputs from IANS)