**ISTANBUL**
The Pentagon's acting Inspector General Steve Stebbins announced Thursday that a formal investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of the Signal app to discuss military operations in Yemen against Houthi targets would be launched.
The probe announcement comes after Senate Armed Services Committee leaders raised concerns about potential security protocol violations.
The inspector general's office, in a memorandum, stated that the evaluation would determine whether Hegseth and other Defense Department personnel complied with policies regarding commercial messaging apps.
Investigators will also examine compliance with classification and records retention requirements during March 2025 discussions about Yemen airstrikes.
The investigation follows reports that senior Donald Trump administration officials, including National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, used Signal for sensitive military planning.
The probe gained urgency after The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was accidentally added to a Signal group containing operational details about strikes against Houthi militants.
The “Signalgate” incident has raised questions about the administration's handling of classified military information after sensitive details about weapons packages, targets, and timing were reportedly shared on the unsecured platform.
Acknowledging that the discussions were “sensitive," the Trump administration maintained that no classified information was shared in the chat.
Trump vowed "decisive military action" against the group in March, with recent US airstrikes in Yemen killing at least 61 civilians and wounding 139 more, according to Houthi-run health authorities.
The Houthis have targeted ships passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has killed over 50,500 people.
The group halted attacks when a Gaza ceasefire was declared in January between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, but said it was resuming strikes in response to Israel blocking all aid into Gaza since March 2.
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