US Official Accidentally Added Journo to Secret Yemen Strike Chat Trying to Add Spox

By Staff, Agencies

A top US “national” security official accidentally added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a high-level Signal group chat meant for senior US officials discussing sensitive military operations against Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah revolutionaries.

The mistake, now under investigation, led to the exposure of confidential plans for the March 14 strikes.

According to CBS News and The Guardian, “National Security” Adviser Mike Waltz intended to add spokesperson Brian Hughes to the encrypted chat but mistakenly added Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, due to a contact mix-up months earlier.

Goldberg’s number had been wrongly saved under Hughes's name following a press inquiry in October 2024.

Goldberg revealed the mishap in a bombshell Atlantic article, reporting how top officials — including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and others — openly discussed attack strategies in the chat.

He later published the messages, which the White House confirmed were authentic.

The incident raised serious concerns over national security protocols. The War Department inspector general is now probing War Secretary Hegseth’s use of Signal, and lawmakers have demanded accountability.

Waltz admitted responsibility, calling the episode “embarrassing,” and claimed he reached out to Elon Musk for help investigating the glitch.

Goldberg, for his part, dismissed Waltz’s excuse, stating: “This isn't The Matrix. Phone numbers don’t just get sucked in.”