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Pentagon director voces remarks on ‘Yemen war plans’ leak
(MENAFN) US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has addressed reports of a leaked discussion among top Trump administration officials regarding military strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, calling the journalist involved “deceitful” and downplaying the significance of the disclosure.
The leak came to light after The Atlantic revealed that its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was accidentally added to a private Signal group chat that included high-ranking officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Hegseth himself. The group had been discussing potential US airstrikes on the Houthis in the days leading up to President Donald Trump’s order for military action on March 15.
According to Goldberg, one of Hegseth’s final messages before the strikes included details about targets, weapons, and attack sequencing. However, when questioned on Monday, Hegseth dismissed the claims.
“Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” he said, labeling Goldberg a “highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes.”
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes later confirmed to Reuters that the message thread “appears to be authentic” and that an internal review was underway to determine how an unauthorized number was added to the chat.
Trump authorized military strikes against the Yemen-based Houthis last Saturday, accusing them of engaging in piracy and terrorism against American and allied vessels. The group, officially known as Ansar Allah, has controlled large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since the mid-2010s.
The Atlantic described the leaked discussion as a “fascinating policy debate,” revealing that officials acknowledged the difficulty of gaining public support for military intervention.
“There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary,” one message, allegedly from Vance, stated. Hegseth agreed, reportedly replying, “Messaging is going to be tough no matter what—nobody knows who the Houthis are—which is why we need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded.”
Trump has blamed Iran for the Houthi attacks, stating that Washington will now consider every strike from the Yemeni group as an attack from Tehran. He warned that Iran would be held responsible and face “dire consequences.”
The leak came to light after The Atlantic revealed that its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was accidentally added to a private Signal group chat that included high-ranking officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Hegseth himself. The group had been discussing potential US airstrikes on the Houthis in the days leading up to President Donald Trump’s order for military action on March 15.
According to Goldberg, one of Hegseth’s final messages before the strikes included details about targets, weapons, and attack sequencing. However, when questioned on Monday, Hegseth dismissed the claims.
“Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” he said, labeling Goldberg a “highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes.”
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes later confirmed to Reuters that the message thread “appears to be authentic” and that an internal review was underway to determine how an unauthorized number was added to the chat.
Trump authorized military strikes against the Yemen-based Houthis last Saturday, accusing them of engaging in piracy and terrorism against American and allied vessels. The group, officially known as Ansar Allah, has controlled large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since the mid-2010s.
The Atlantic described the leaked discussion as a “fascinating policy debate,” revealing that officials acknowledged the difficulty of gaining public support for military intervention.
“There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary,” one message, allegedly from Vance, stated. Hegseth agreed, reportedly replying, “Messaging is going to be tough no matter what—nobody knows who the Houthis are—which is why we need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded.”
Trump has blamed Iran for the Houthi attacks, stating that Washington will now consider every strike from the Yemeni group as an attack from Tehran. He warned that Iran would be held responsible and face “dire consequences.”
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