**Pentagon Probes Hegseth’s Alleged Disclosure of War Plans in Signal Group Chats**

The Pentagon is currently investigating whether Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally sent text messages that revealed U.S. military plans for striking Houthi targets in Yemen. These details appeared in at least two group chats, as confirmed by officials familiar with the probe.

Pentagon investigators are examining if Hegseth himself composed these messages or if staffers were responsible. The Defense Department's Office of Inspector General (DOD IG) has been interviewing Hegseth's current and former staff for several weeks in an effort to understand how classified strike details from a secure system came to be transmitted via the Signal messaging app.

"Our policy is to refrain from disclosing the scope or details of ongoing projects to maintain the integrity of the investigation process," DOD IG spokesperson Mollie Halperin told ABC News.

The sensitive information was purportedly shared in two distinct chat groups involving Hegseth. One group included Vice President JD Vance and other high-ranking officials, and the other included Hegseth’s wife, who does not hold a government position. The investigation has yet to determine how soon the findings will be made public. Hegseth is set to testify on Tuesday in his role as defense secretary, where he is expected to face tough questions from Democratic lawmakers about his management of classified information.

The reported incident took place around mid-March, coinciding with a similar mishap by key members of President Donald Trump’s National Security Council. This group, which included Hegseth, accidentally disclosed details about the March 15 missile strike in Yemen to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.

Moreover, it has been reported that much of the same classified content circulated within a second encrypted chat group hosted on Hegseth's personal phone. This group, created during his confirmation process, included family members and associates, featuring his wife, Jennifer Hegseth.

The probe is not limited to who created and sent the messages; investigators are also looking into whether any staff members were instructed to delete messages, raising further questions about internal compliance with security protocols.