WASHINGTON

The Pentagon’s inspector general (IG) has concluded that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “created risks to operational security” by sharing sensitive details about planned US strikes against Yemen’s Houthis in a group chat on the Signal messaging app, according to several US media reports on Wednesday.

Fox News reported that the IG found that Hegseth’s messages “could have resulted in failed U.S. mission objectives and potential harm to U.S. pilots,” citing sources familiar with the classified report.

A classified version has been provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee, while an unclassified, redacted version is expected to be released Thursday, it added.

The probe centered on Hegseth’s use of the encrypted messaging app in March, when Trump administration officials discussed operational timelines for the strikes.

The Pentagon didn’t immediately comment on the report.