The leader of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate has called for a “full investigation” following confirmation from the White House that a journalist was included in a group chat where U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top officials discussed impending strikes against Yemen’s Houthi group.
On March 15, U.S. President Donald Trump announced these strikes, which have sparked significant concern over a notable security breach. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealed he received hours of advance notice via the group chat on Signal.
The airstrikes reportedly resulted in the fatalities of 53 individuals and left 98 more injured, according to Yemeni health officials.
“The message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” stated National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes.
In a lengthy message, Mr. Hegseth indicated that the first detonations in Yemen would occur at 1:45 PM Eastern Time, a timeline corroborated by events on the ground, as noted by Mr. Goldberg.
Goldberg mentioned he was added to the group chat just two days prior and received communications from various high-ranking officials designating representatives to address the situation.
On March 14, Vice President JD Vance voiced hesitations regarding the strikes, expressing frustrations over “bailing Europe out again,” noting that European nations were more impacted by Houthi assaults on shipping than the U.S. itself.
Participants in the chat, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Mr. Hegseth, countered this perspective, insisting that only the U.S. held the capability to execute the mission. Hegseth even echoed Vance’s sentiment regarding European dependency.
A contributor identified as “S M,” potentially Trump adviser Stephen Miller, suggested that if the U.S. were to restore freedom of navigation at a high cost, there should be economic benefits in return.
This security breach has incited outrage among Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who criticized the inadvertent disclosure of sensitive Pentagon plans. Schumer remarked, “This is one of the most stunning breaches of military intelligence I have read about in a very, very long time. This debacle requires a full investigation into how this happened.”
In response to inquiries, Mr. Trump claimed ignorance regarding the breach, stating, “I don’t know anything about it,” upon being questioned about the incident earlier today. Nevertheless, the White House reassured that Trump maintains his trust in his national security team despite the error. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt emphasized, “President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.”
The Houthis, who have governed much of Yemen for over a decade, align with the “axis of resistance” alongside pro-Iran groups that vehemently oppose Israel and the United States. They have conducted numerous drone and missile attacks against vessels navigating through Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, especially during the Gaza conflict, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
This campaign has severely disrupted a crucial shipping route known to handle about 12% of the world’s shipping traffic, prompting many companies to reroute around the southern tip of Africa at considerable expense.
In light of these developments, the U.S. resumed targeting the Houthis under the previous administration of former President Joe Biden, conducting multiple rounds of strikes on Houthi positions, occasionally with British support. Mr. Trump declared his commitment to using “overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” particularly in light of Houthi threats against Red Sea shipping. U.S. strikes have continued over the past ten days, as tensions remain high.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
