The Pentagon’s independent watchdog has uncovered information that contradicts the Trump administration’s long-standing claims that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not share any classified details in a Signal app group chat that mistakenly included a journalist. This chat contained information about U.S. bombings in Yemen.
The watchdog has received evidence showing that Hegseth’s Signal account, which revealed plans for the bombing campaign, originated from a classified email labeled “SECRET/NOFORN,” as first reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday, July 23.
Conflicting evidence
People familiar with the matter informed The Post that the finding contradicts the Trump administration’s claim. The administration previously stated that officials did not share classified information in the nonclassified chat, which critics argue constitutes a significant security breach.
In at least two group chats on the Signal messaging app, officials shared messages about the military campaign. These messages are central to an investigation by the Defense Department’s inspector general’s office, which the office initiated in April by a bipartisan group of members from the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Labeled ‘SECRET/NOFORN’
Sources tell The Post that officials originally divulged the airstrike details in a classified email that included information from more than a dozen defense officials. They said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the top commander managing operations in the Middle East, sent the emails.
Federal officials shared the emails in the unclassified group chats by an account linked to Hegseth on March 15, shortly before the U.S. strikes against Houthi rebels.
The “SECRET” designation of Kurilla’s email suggested that the details were classified in a way in which unauthorized dissemination could seriously threaten national security. The “NOFORN” classification reportedly indicates that it also was not intended for anyone who is a foreign national, including senior officials of close American allies.
Four people familiar with the matter told The Post that Kurilla sent his email over a classified system known as the Secret Internal Protocol Router Network, or SIPRNET.
The email detailed when the strikes in Yemen would occur, which aircraft would be deployed and what weapons would be used. The backlash erupted when it became public that officials mistakenly included a journalist from The Atlantic in the group chat.
Calls for Hegseth’s firing
Some Democrats have demanded Hegseth’s firing following the incident, and at least one Republican has called for his ousting. Last month, congressional committees questioned Hegseth about the alleged breach.
Despite criticism, the Trump administration repeatedly asserted that officials did not share classified plans on Signal. However, national security and military analysts have expressed doubt over that claim.
“These are indeed highly detailed operational plans of war,” a former defense official who spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity in March. “Twenty-five years, I have never known them not to be classified. And usually this operational level of detail is further restricted to those with a need-to-know.”
“I don’t care what DOD says — that’s classified info,” another former official told The Post.
The administration remained steadfast in its commitment to the claims when responding to The Post’s report. Administration officials praised military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen and more recent bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“The Department stands behind its previous statements: no classified information was shared via Signal,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told The Post in an emailed statement. “As we’ve said repeatedly, nobody was texting war plans and the success of the Department’s recent operations — from Operation Rough Rider to Operation Midnight Hammer — are proof that our operational security and discipline are top notch.”
White House spokesperson Ann Kelly also criticized The Post’s reporting.
“It’s shameful that The Washington Post continues to publish unverified articles based on alleged emails they haven’t personally reviewed in an effort to undermine a successful military operation and resurrect a non-issue that no one has cared about for months,” she said.
Unanswered questions remain
The Defense Department inspector general’s office declined to comment on the report and has precedent for doing so regarding open cases.
Hegseth, meanwhile, has failed to say whether the information he shared on Signal came to him through a classified network.
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Author: Alex Delia
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