The US Inspector General (IG) has delivered a review concerning Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging application during a military strike on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The review found that Hegseth’s actions put US personnel and their mission at risk when he used the encrypted messaging app to convey sensitive, real-time information about the military operation.
Key Findings of the Investigation
The investigation by the Pentagon Inspector General’s office was prompted by a revelation made by The Atlantic magazine in late March. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently included in a Signal chat where US officials, including Hegseth and then-national security advisor Mike Waltz, discussed the Houthi strikes.
- Information Shared: The chat included messages from Hegseth revealing the timing of strikes hours before they occurred and providing details on the aircraft and missiles involved. Mike Waltz also reportedly sent real-time intelligence concerning the aftermath of the military action.
- Classification Ruling: Despite the serious risk identified, sources familiar with the investigation told CNN that the probe concluded Hegseth did not violate rules on classification. This conclusion was based on the fact that, as Defence Secretary, Hegseth has the authority to declassify information.
- Delivery to Lawmakers: The review was delivered to lawmakers, who were granted access to review the full, unredacted report in a classified facility at the Capitol. A partially redacted version of the report is expected to be released publicly later this week.
Hegseth Claims ‘Total Exoneration’
Following the delivery of the report, Pete Hegseth reacted strongly to the findings via a post on social media platform X, claiming the results cleared him entirely.
“No classified information. Total exoneration. Case closed. Houthis bombed into submission. Thank you for your attention to this IG report,” he wrote.
The investigation was launched after the White House initially insisted that no classified information had been shared in the Signal chat and accused The Atlantic‘s editor of lying about the content.