The Pentagon’s independent watchdog has found that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss planned strikes on Yemen may have exposed American troops to unnecessary risk, US media reported on Wednesday. According to the inspector general’s investigation, Hegseth shared operational details — including timing and weapons systems — on a commercial platform, raising concerns about operational security.
The inquiry, however, concluded that Hegseth did not violate classification rules because he has the authority to declassify information. This finding, transmitted to the US Congress, is still expected to renew scrutiny of Hegseth’s conduct, especially as he already faces criticism for authorising US strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats — actions that some experts describe as extrajudicial killings.
The watchdog launched its probe after The Atlantic magazine revealed in March that its editor-in-chief was unintentionally added to a Signal group chat involving senior US officials, including Hegseth and then–national security adviser Mike Waltz. The group discussed imminent strikes on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi fighters. Although the magazine first withheld the sensitive details exchanged, it later published them after the White House insisted no classified information had been shared and accused editor Jeffrey Goldberg of dishonesty.
Text messages from the leaked chat reportedly showed Hegseth disclosing the timing of strikes hours before they occurred, along with details on aircraft and missile systems being used. Waltz, meanwhile, allegedly shared real-time intelligence on the aftermath of US military actions. Some of the messages were set to auto-delete after one to four weeks, raising questions over potential violations of federal records laws.
In response to the inspector general’s report, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X that the review amounted to a “TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth”, a claim likely to fuel further debate rather than end it.
The fallout has affected senior officials in different ways. While former national security adviser Mike Waltz was removed from his post and reassigned as US ambassador to the United Nations, Hegseth has remained in his position, even after US media reported in April that he had created another Signal group that included his wife and brother to discuss the March strikes.
The controversy comes amid ongoing regional tensions sparked by Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis began targeting vessels in response to Israel’s 2023 offensive in Gaza, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. Their attacks effectively disrupted traffic through the Suez Canal — a crucial route handling about 12 percent of global maritime trade — forcing many ships to reroute around southern Africa.
The United States initially responded to the Houthi attacks during the Biden administration and intensified strikes on March 15 under President Trump. The operations continued until early May, when Oman-mediated negotiations produced a ceasefire agreement between Washington and the Houthi movement.
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