Pentagon watchdog to probe use of Signal for Yemen attack plans

The Pentagon’s Inspector General’s office announced on Thursday it was opening a probe into Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of an unclassified commercial texting application to coordinate on the highly sensitive March 15 launch of US strikes on Yemen’s Houthis.

In a memorandum addressed to Hegseth, the Inspector General’s office said it would examine whether Hegseth’s use of Signal met Defence Department guidelines, including those related to classified information.

Hegseth has repeatedly said no classified information was revealed in the chat, even though it included precise times for the launch of US air strikes and some targeting details that are regarded as closely guarded secrets ahead of a surprise military operation like the one in Yemen.

The details of the chat were revealed last week by The Atlantic magazine after its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was included in the chat by mistake, in an embarrassing incident involving all of President Donald Trump’s most senior national security officials.

The case has also renewed scrutiny of Hegseth, who only narrowly won Senate confirmation after a bruising review that raised serious questions about his experience, temperament and views about women in combat.