Washington, April 21 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed classified military plans regarding airstrikes on Yemen in a private signal group chat with his family members and close personal associates.

The incident, which reportedly occurred before the US launched airstrikes on Houthi rebel targets on March 15, raises further concerns about the Trump official’s handling of sensitive national security information.

According to the report by The New York Times, Hegseth shared highly confidential details, including F/A-18 Hornet flight schedules, with a private group named “Defense | Team Huddle,” which he created in January using his personal phone. The group included his wife, Jennifer Hegseth (a former Fox News producer), his brother, his personal lawyer, and roughly a dozen others from his inner circle.

The Times’ report follows an earlier disclosure by The Atlantic, which revealed the existence of another Signal chat, initially intended for senior national security officials.

That group, created by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, inadvertently included Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg.

Both reports indicate that Hegseth shared the same sensitive information in both groups, around the same time.

The latest revelations have intensified scrutiny of Hegseth’s judgment and raised alarms about operational security at the highest levels of the Pentagon.

Critics argue that by discussing top-secret military plans over an unclassified messaging platform, and including non-government individuals, Hegseth may have jeopardized operational safety and violated established protocols.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned Hegseth’s actions, calling for his immediate dismissal. “We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk,” Schumer wrote on X. “But Trump is still too weak to fire him. Pete Hegseth must be fired.”

Despite the mounting criticism, the Pentagon has not issued an official response, and the White House has not returned media inquiries on the matter.