Photo: LIONEL BONAVENTURE / AFP / Getty Images
Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg revealed that he was accidentally included in a group chat about U.S. military plans against Houthi targets in Yemen. According to Goldberg, the chat, conducted on the Signal app, included high-ranking officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The conversation contained sensitive details about upcoming airstrikes, including target information and attack sequencing.
Goldberg learned about the strikes over two hours before they were publicly announced. He expressed concern that if the information had reached adversaries, it could have endangered U.S. military and intelligence personnel. The U.S. military conducted strikes on over 30 targets in Yemen earlier this month, targeting Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed the authenticity of the chat and stated that Goldberg's inclusion was inadvertent. He described the thread as an example of policy coordination among senior officials and assured that there were no threats to national security or service members. However, the incident may have violated protocols regarding secure military information sharing.
The Pentagon referred inquiries about the situation to the National Security Council, which has not yet commented further. The incident highlights potential lapses in operational security within the administration.