The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday published the full Signal chat among senior Trump administration national security officials, revealing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided precise attack plans, including the timing of warplane launches and the moment bombs would drop, ahead of US strikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The disclosure has ignited controversy over national security protocols and the use of unclassified messaging platforms for military operations.
Detailed Attack Plans Revealed
The Signal chat, which mistakenly included Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, shows that on March 15, Hegseth provided real-time updates on the strike operation. He informed the group at 11:44 am that weather conditions were favorable and confirmed with US Central Command (CENTCOM) that the mission was set to proceed.
Hegseth then posted multiple details about the impending strike, using military language to describe the timeline of events, the location of the “target terrorist,” the sequence of attacks, and the deployment of various weapons and aircraft.
“Godspeed to our Warriors,” he wrote.
Hegseth reassured the group, stating: “We are currently clean on OPSEC,” referring to operational security, despite the journalist’s inadvertent inclusion in the discussion.
At 11:44 am, Hegseth messaged the group:
"Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch," referring to US Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East.
He then provided a detailed timetable of the strike operation:
12:15 pm: First wave of F-18 warplanes launch.
1:45 pm: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 first strike window begins; MQ-9 Reaper drones launch.
2:10 pm: Additional F-18s take off as part of the second strike package.
2:15 pm: Drones over target, "THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP," pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets.
3:36 pm: Second wave of F-18 strikes begins; first sea-based Tomahawk cruise missiles launched.
Hegseth also noted that the “target terrorist” was at “his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME.”
He concluded:
“We are currently clean on OPSEC” — a reference to operational security, which in fact had been compromised due to the journalist’s presence in the chat.
A strike package includes the personnel and weapons used in an attack, including Navy F-18 fighter aircraft. MQ-9s are armed drones. Tomahawks are ship-launched cruise missiles.
Aftermath of the Strikes
At 2:00 pm, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz messaged that a “top missile guy” from the Houthis had been targeted. “We had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed,” he wrote, suggesting a residential area had been hit.
Later, Hegseth confirmed more strikes would continue throughout the night and said a full report would be provided the next day.
White House and Pentagon downplay breach
The Trump administration has downplayed the Singal chat scandal, with Trump himself calling it a "glitch."
National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes acknowledged that the chat logs appeared “authentic,” but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the reports as a “hoax written by a Trump-hater.”
Other officials sought to downplay the severity of the breach.
Waltz defended the conversation, stating on X (formerly Twitter): “No locations. No sources & methods. NO WAR PLANS.”
Similarly, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell claimed, “There were no classified materials or war plans shared.”
Hegseth, who is currently traveling in the Indo-Pacific, has dismissed questions about whether he disclosed classified information.
However, the Atlantic’s decision to publish the full chat logs intensified scrutiny. The magazine confirmed that it repeatedly reached out to the White House to verify the security implications of publishing the information.
According to Goldberg, the administration expressed its preference for non-disclosure but did not formally object.
Senate Investigation and concerns over Signal use
The incident has prompted calls for a formal inquiry. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) are seeking an inspector general investigation into the use of Signal for discussing military operations. They have also requested a classified briefing with a senior administration official to address the implications of the breach.
One of the most glaring issues raised is the exclusion of the military’s top official from the chat. Acting Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady was not included in the discussion, despite the chat being used to coordinate military strikes. The White House had previously stated that Waltz had discretion over Grady’s inclusion based on policy relevance and security concerns.
Furthermore, Signal’s vulnerabilities have come under scrutiny. Just one day before the strikes, the Department of Defense warned personnel that Russia was attempting to exploit Signal’s security weaknesses.
One potential risk is that a malicious actor with access to a user’s phone could monitor conversations in real time. Despite this, the chat logs indicate that high-ranking officials continued to discuss sensitive military plans on the platform.
Intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have told the Senate Intelligence Committee that it is ultimately up to Hegseth to determine whether his messages contained classified details.
The release of the full Signal chat has exposed significant vulnerabilities in national security communications and has raised questions about the Trump administration’s handling of classified information.
The unfolding controversy is now set to face both congressional scrutiny and legal challenges, with potential ramifications for both the administration and the broader US intelligence community.
(With inputs from AFP and AP)
