The Atlantic published additional text messages Wednesday from a Signal group chat involving top Trump national security officials. This sheds light on a serious breach in operational security regarding a Houthi attack.
The newly released messages, according to CNN, outline detailed military plans, including specific timelines and operational strategies, shared among officials before the attack took place.
The release of these messages comes after members of the Trump administration criticized The Atlantic and its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, for their initial report, asserting that the messages did not contain classified information.
However, Goldberg and The Atlantic's Shane Harris responded, emphasizing that their findings suggested otherwise. "There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels, especially because senior administration figures are attempting to downplay the significance of the messages that were shared," they wrote.
The newly published texts from the Signal group chat contradict claims from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top officials who had denied that sensitive war plans were discussed.
"These are operational plans that are highly classified in order to protect the service members," a US defense official familiar with the operation told CNN.
Another source who was briefed on it afterward added: "It is safe to say that anybody in uniform would be court-martialed for this... We don't provide that level of information on unclassified systems, in order to protect the lives and safety of the service members carrying out these strikes. If we did, it would be wholly irresponsible. My most junior analysts know not to do this."
At 11:44 a.m. ET, Hegseth sent a message with precise details of the military operation: "Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch."
The detailed operational timeline included:
- 12:15 p.m. ET: F-18s launch (first strike package)
- 1:45 p.m. ET: Strike drones launch (MQ-9s)
- 2:10 p.m. ET: More F-18s launch (second strike package)
- 2:15 p.m. ET: Strike drones on target (first bombs drop)
- 3:36 p.m. ET: Second strike begins, sea-based Tomahawks launched
This information was shared approximately two hours before the scheduled start of bombing Houthi positions. According to The Atlantic's reporting, had these details been intercepted, American personnel—particularly pilots—could have been exposed to significant risks during the operation.
While top U.S. officials have asserted that the details in the messages were not classified, the disclosure of such precise strike timings raises concerns about potential vulnerabilities in operational security. Later in the day, national security adviser Mike Waltz confirmed the success of the strike, while Hegseth assured the group that additional strikes were underway.
Following the publication of the messages, the White House sought to discredit The Atlantic's reporting, but the National Security Council has verified the authenticity of the text thread. Goldberg and Harris, standing by their report, emphasized that the public has a right to access this critical information, especially given the attempts to downplay its significance by senior administration figures.
