(MENAFN- Live Mint) US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth potentially jeopardized American troops safety when he used the encrypted messaging app Signal to share highly sensitive military strike plans targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen earlier this year, CNN reported, citing four sources familiar with a classified Inspector General (IG) investigation.

According to the news outlet, the IG report concluded that sharing real-time operational details over Signal“could have endangered American troops and mission objectives.”

However, the consequences of the disclosure remain unclear. The news outlet citing two sources stated that the IG acknowledged Hegseth has the authority to declassify information. Hegseth reportedly claimed he made“an operational decision in the moment” to share the plans - though investigators found no documentation of such a decision.

An unclassified version of the IG report is expected to be released publicly on Thursday (December 4). The classified report was sent to Congress Tuesday night.

Real-time strike details shared in group chat

Messages sent from Hegseth's Signal account to a group chat included specific, real-time updates on planned US military strikes.

It is still unclear whether Hegseth properly declassified the material before sharing it with top Trump officials - and a reporter, The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, who was accidentally added to the chat.

IG: Hegseth should not have used Signal

The IG's findings form part of a broader review into Hegseth's use of the encrypted app.

The report states Hegseth“should not have used Signal” to transmit sensitive military information and that senior Defense Department officials require better training on information-handling protocols, the news outlet further stated, citing sources as saying.

Unauthorized recipients

Beyond the potential operational risks, the IG also reportedly found that Hegseth had shared sensitive and classified details with unauthorized individuals.

One Signal group chat that received classified updates included several senior Trump officials and, unknowingly, Goldberg. Another Signal chat included Hegseth's wife, brother, and personal lawyer.

Probe into possible use of his device by others

Investigators also looked at whether anyone other than Hegseth could have entered the messages into the Signal chat - named“PC Houthi Small Group” - or whether others had access to his phone, CNN reported.

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