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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared sensitive details of planned military strikes in Yemen in a private Signal group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, according to multiple individuals familiar with the exchange speaking to the New York Times.
On March 15, Hegseth once again used the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate operational details about the impending airstrikes targeting Houthis in Yemen.
Among the specifics shared were flight schedules for F/A-18 Hornets and timing for drone launches — the same information that appeared in a separate Signal group "mistakenly" including The Atlantic's editor, Jeffrey Goldberg.
The group chat, named "Defense | Team Huddle," was reportedly created in January by Hegseth before his confirmation as defense secretary. It included around a dozen individuals from his inner circle, such as his wife Jennifer, his brother Phil, and his longtime personal attorney Tim Parlatore. While encrypted, the chat was accessed via Hegseth's private phone, not his government-issued device.
Jennifer Hegseth, a former Fox News producer, has accompanied her husband to sensitive overseas meetings but holds no official government position. Parlatore, now a Navy commander in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, had not yet resumed active duty at the time. Phil Hegseth currently serves as a liaison to the Department of Homeland Security.
None of these individuals were deemed to have a legitimate operational need to access sensitive strike data, raising questions about compliance with Defense Department communication protocols.
The newly revealed chat group adds to scrutiny over Hegseth's handling of classified and sensitive material. A separate Signal group, set up by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and including senior Trump administration officials, was also used by Hegseth to relay strike details. That group, "Houthi PC small group," mistakenly included Goldberg, who later published excerpts of the exchange in The Atlantic.
One message from Hegseth read: "Trigger Based F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)."
Waltz later confirmed that the first target — a top Houthi missile expert — had been identified entering a building that was later struck.
Sources told CBS News that the published excerpts compromised an Israeli human intelligence source in Yemen, who had provided information used to target the Houthi figure. Although the chat did not explicitly reference Israel, the contextual details reportedly made the source identifiable.
Israeli officials have privately expressed frustration over the breach. The source's exposure has sparked concern within Israel's intelligence community, as reported by CBS News.
The Pentagon's acting inspector general, Steven Stebbins, announced earlier this month a review of Hegseth's use of Signal for official communications. The review was launched following a bipartisan request from Senator Roger Wicker and Senator Jack Reed, who chair the Armed Services Committee.
"The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the secretary of defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business," Stebbins stated in his notification letter.
It is not yet confirmed whether this review includes the "Defense | Team Huddle" chat.
Two participants in the chat — senior advisers Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick — were fired last week for allegedly leaking unauthorized information. Along with a third aide, Colin Carroll, they have publicly denied the allegations. Their abrupt dismissal has led to increased tensions within the Pentagon and speculation about further resignations.
Chief of staff Joe Kasper, who helped lead the internal leak probe, is reportedly considering stepping down. He has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Despite the controversy, Hegseth has denied sharing any classified information. "Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that," he told reporters.
During Senate hearings, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard echoed this defense, stating no classified data was shared, though acknowledging that sensitive military information had been discussed.
According to one individual familiar with the chat speaking to NYT, Hegseth was warned by aides prior to the March 15 strikes not to share operational details via Signal. However, he continued to use the platform for both personal and official communication.
Some of Hegseth's advisers reportedly urged him to transition to his government phone for work-related chats, but he reportedly declined to do so.
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