The office of the Pentagon inspector general will examine the use of the commercial messaging app Signal by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss air strikes in Yemen, as outlined in a memo.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is embroiled in a controversy following the accidental leak of a group chat involving senior security officials regarding the strikes aimed at Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The investigation will assess how well Mr. Hegseth and other defense personnel adhered to “policies and procedures for utilizing a commercial messaging application for official business,” according to a memo from acting inspector general Steven Stebbins.
Additionally, they will examine “compliance with classification and records retention requirements,” the memo stated.
Last week, The Atlantic magazine disclosed that its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently added to a Signal chat in which officials, including Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, discussed the air strikes.
According to messages published by The Atlantic magazine,
the publication initially chose not to reveal the specifics of the discussions but later proceeded to do so after the White House insisted no classified information was disclosed and labeled Mr. Goldberg a liar.
The chat encompassed messages wherein Mr. Hegseth indicated the timing of strikes hours prior to their execution, along with details regarding the aircraft and missiles involved. Meanwhile, Mr. Waltz provided real-time intelligence regarding the aftermath of the military action.
The White House, along with several officials involved in the chat—including Mr. Hegseth—has attempted to minimize the significance of the incident, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informing journalists this week that “the case is closed.”
A US judge mandated last week that the Trump administration preserve all Signal communications from March 11 to 15.
These dates span the timeframe when Mr. Waltz established the chat—accidentally including Mr. Goldberg—and the day of the lethal US strikes targeting the Iran-backed Houthis.
The Atlantic reported that Mr. Waltz had set certain Signal messages to disappear after one week and others after four, raising concerns about possible violations of federal record-keeping laws.
Mr. Trump has predominantly shifted responsibility onto Mr. Waltz but has also brushed aside calls from Democrats for the resignation of top officials, emphasizing what he claims to be the success of the raids on Yemeni rebels instead.
The Houthis began targeting shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden following the onset of the Gaza war in 2023, asserting solidarity with the Palestinians.
These Houthi attacks have obstructed vessels from traversing the Suez Canal, a critical passage that usually accommodates about 12% of global shipping traffic, compelling numerous companies to take a costly detour around southern Africa.
The United States commenced air strikes in response under the Biden administration, and US forces have continued near-daily assaults on the Houthis since March 15.
