'Secret/NOFORN': Pentagon watchdog finds Hegseth shared classified information in Houthi Signal chat

The Pentagon’s inspector general has found evidence that military strike plans shared from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Signal account earlier this year came from a classified US Central Command document, according to The Washington Post. The document, obtained by investigators shortly after their probe began in April, was marked Secret/NOFORN, meaning it was not to be shared with any foreign nationals. It contained sensitive details about US military strikes in Yemen.

Classified info sent ahead of US attacks in Yemen

The original email was sent on a classified system by General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, who oversees US operations in the Middle East. It included timing, aircraft types, and weapons to be used in the strikes. That email was then reposted into an unclassified Signal group chat on 15 March, just before the US launched airstrikes on Houthi targets. To make matters worse, the Signal chat included not just top officials but also a journalist from The Atlantic, who has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump. Despite growing evidence, Hegseth and the Pentagon have repeatedly denied that any classified information was shared via the Signal app.

Pentagon spokesperson denies any wrongdoing

“This Signal narrative is so old and worn out, it’s starting to resemble Joe Biden’s mental state. The Department stands behind its previous statements: no classified information was shared via Signal,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told The Washington Post. He also claimed that the recent success of US missions like Operation Rough Rider and Operation Midnight Hammer shows that “operational security and discipline are top notch.”

Who really sent the messages?

According to sources, the inspector general is also looking into whether someone else may have used Hegseth’s phone to send the messages. At the time, Hegseth was reportedly at home in Tennessee. Witnesses say he was active in multiple Signal groups, possibly up to a dozen. Hegseth told Congress in June that he couldn’t confirm in public whether the materials were classified, yet insisted they weren’t. “You can very well disclose whether or not it was classified,” said Democratic Representative Seth Moulton. “What’s not classified is that it was an incredibly successful mission,” Hegseth replied.

The Signal chat was reportedly created by former national security adviser Michael Waltz, who was removed from his post less than two months after the leak surfaced. Waltz is now Trump’s pick for US ambassador to the United Nations. At his confirmation hearing last week, he refused to admit that sharing war plans in an unclassified group chat was a mistake. Other members of the chat included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

The investigation is still ongoing, and the Pentagon’s inspector general has not yet issued a finalconclusion.