US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth may have compromised operations and troop safety by sending classified military strike details via Signal, as an unclassified IG report is set for release Thursday, according to a report
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth may have put US troops and operations at risk by using the messaging app Signal in March to share highly sensitive attack plans targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to CNN, citing four sources familiar with a classified Inspector General report.
While the exact consequences of Hegseth’s action remain unclear, two sources told CNN that the IG noted defence secretary has the authority to declassify information. Hegseth maintained that he made an on-the-spot operational decision to share the details, though no official documentation of such a decision exists, added the report.
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An unclassified version of the report is set to be publicly released Thursday. The classified report was sent to Congress on Tuesday night, reported CNN.
Messages sent from Hegseth’s Signal account to the group chat, which sources previously confirmed to CNN contained material from documents marked classified at the time, included real-time updates about planned military strikes.
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One message was so specific that it read: “This is when the first bombs will drop.”
It remains unclear whether Hegseth properly declassified the information before sharing it with other top Trump officials and a reporter, the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, who was accidentally added to the chat.
According to the CNN report, citing sources, Hegseth declined to be interviewed by the inspector general, instead submitted his account of events in writing.
The IG’s findings are documented in a broader report produced after a months-long investigation into Hegseth’s use of Signal.
According to sources, the report concluded that Hegseth should not have used the app and that senior Defense Department officials require better training on proper protocols.
CNN reached out to the Pentagon but did not get any response.
The release of the investigation could heighten existing concerns from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about Hegseth’s judgment and draw renewed attention to an issue that nearly resulted in his dismissal several months ago, CNN reported.
‘Signalgate’ controversy
The Trump administration’s “Signalgate” controversy unfolded in March when top officials, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, used Signal to discuss sensitive plans for military strikes in Yemen.
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The group chat drew public attention after The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added.
The inspector general launched the review in April following bipartisan requests from Ca