U.S. Officials Leak Classified Military Plans Endangering RAF Pilots During Air Strikes on Houthi Rebels in Yemen

A major security breach has put the lives of British Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots in danger, after confidential information regarding air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen was leaked in a secret group chat involving U.S. officials.

The leak reportedly occurred on March 15, when a British Voyager plane was used to refuel American jets involved in a mission that resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people.

The Leak and Its Consequences for RAF Personnel

The leaked conversation, which took place on a secure messaging app, contained sensitive operational details, including information about the planned strikes, targets, weapons to be used, and the sequence of the attack.

Lord Dannat, a former head of the Army, expressed his concerns to The Telegraph, saying that this disclosure of classified information exposed British personnel to greater risk.

“As U.S. officials gave away classified information about future operations in which the RAF were involved, this undoubtedly placed British personnel at higher risk,” he said.

He urged the White House to address the breach urgently, calling for tighter security measures to protect both British and American military personnel.

“I hope the White House will tighten its security rapidly and considerably,” he added, emphasizing the importance of operational security.

U.S. Officials’ Security Breach and Repercussions

The breach occurred after key national security officials in President Donald Trump’s administration, including his defense secretary, texted plans for upcoming military operations in Yemen to a group chat on the messaging app Signal.

The chat included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, who later reported the leak.

According to Goldberg, the information shared in the chat was highly sensitive, including details of the strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, an Iran-backed group involved in attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea.

Despite the gravity of the situation, President Trump initially downplayed the leak, telling reporters that he wasn’t aware of the breach.

However, he later seemed to joke about the incident, further fueling concerns over the administration’s lack of accountability for the security lapse.

International Outrage Over the Breach

The leak quickly gained international attention, and allies of the U.S. expressed their shock and concern.

A European diplomat described the breach as “scary” and “reckless,” while Neil Melvin, a security expert at the Royal United Services Institute, called it “pretty shocking.”

He noted that senior U.S. officials seemed to disregard standard security protocols, raising alarms about the safety of military personnel and the integrity of intelligence-sharing agreements between the U.S. and its allies.

European officials were also troubled by the administration’s apparent disdain for their allies.

Vice President JD Vance’s complaint about “bailing out” Europe and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s criticism of “pathetic” European “freeloading” further strained relationships, already complicated by Trump’s “America First” stance.

Despite this, European leaders attempted to downplay the tensions, asserting that the U.S. remains their closest ally on security and defense matters.

The Fallout and The Atlantic’s Reporting

In response to the leak, The Atlantic published more details from the group chat, revealing that key officials, including Defense Secretary Hegseth, had shared highly sensitive war plans against the Houthis.

Hegseth and other Trump administration officials later attacked The Atlantic‘s Goldberg, calling him derogatory names in an effort to discredit his reporting.

However, Goldberg stood by his story, publishing further details of the leaked texts to ensure the public was informed.

Goldberg and The Atlantic’s Shane Harris argued that it was crucial for the public to see the contents of the messages, given the attempts by Trump administration officials to downplay their significance.

“There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in non-secure communications channels,” they stated.

The Ongoing Diplomatic Tensions

The ongoing fallout from the leaked chat continues to raise concerns about the security of joint military operations between the U.S. and its allies.

While the Trump administration continues to downplay the severity of the breach, the international community remains vigilant, with many questioning the reliability of intelligence-sharing with Washington.

This incident has further strained the relationship between the U.S. and its European allies, highlighting the challenges of maintaining trust and security in an increasingly volatile global environment.