Leaked Signal Chat Sparks Controversy Over Classified Information

A leaked Signal chat involving senior Trump administration officials has raised concerns about the disclosure of potentially classified military operations. The chat included specifics about airstrikes against Yemen's Houthis. There's ongoing debate about the classification of the shared information, amid broader concerns over Signal's security vulnerabilities.

The Atlantic's release of a Signal chat has ignited a firestorm, revealing potentially classified details of military operations against Yemen's Houthis by the United States. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is at the center of the controversy, after disclosing specific timings of airstrikes that were to be carried out by U.S. forces.

Questions about information security have intensified, as the chat was not classified yet detailed timing of military actions. Hegseth, traveling in the Indo-Pacific, has denied revealing 'war plans' despite the chat's specificity. Meanwhile, other Trump administration officials have been involved in explaining the situation to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Signal's vulnerabilities are also under scrutiny, with the Defense Department warning about potential Russian hacking attempts on the app. As a publicly available, encrypted app, Signal is not sanctioned for transmitting classified information, raising further security alarms about military communications.

(With inputs from agencies.)