US officials mistakenly shared Yemen attack plans in a Signal chat with The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg.
US President Donald Trump tried to downplay the significance of the texts leaked on the Signal messaging app, dismissing them as “not a big deal.”
Some key messages, seemingly from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, were sent on March 15, as the US military prepared to launch its attack on Yemen.
Several senior officials, including Vice President JD Vance, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, took part in the chat.
Detailed transcript of the chat discussing the strikes on the day they took place:
On March 15, at 11:44 am ET, Hegseth sent an update on the mission launch
- Mission launch confirmed with CENTCOM
- Favorable weather conditions established
- F-18s launch schedule with strike drones
- Second wave F-18s to launch at 2:10 pm ET
- Full operational security maintained
A concise summary of the transcript reveals calculations leading to the attacks:
On March 13, Waltz established a principles group to coordinate on Houthi activities for the following 72 hours
On March 14, team members discussed various reservations and the implications of waiting for the attacks (eg. trade impact on US and Europe, the risk of leaks, and security)
The transcript reflects the debates and strategies developed by senior US officials and their ultimate decision to proceed with the previously planned military action against Yemen’s Houthi rebels
