25 Mar, 00:00

Atlantic editor says he was added to chat where US officials discussed strikes on Houthis

He stated that the chat included approximately 18 participants, among them a user going by the name "J.D. Vance" (the name of the Vice President of the United States)

WASHINGTON, March 25. /TASS/. The Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, claims that senior officials in the US administration accidentally included him in a group chat where discussions were taking place regarding strikes against the Houthis from the rebel Ansar Allah movement.

According to Goldberg’s article, on March 11, he received a request to join the messaging platform Signal from a user with the nickname "Mike Waltz" (the name of a national security adviser). Two days later, the journalist was notified that he had been added to a group chat. He stated that the chat included approximately 18 participants, among them a user going by the name "J.D. Vance" (the name of the Vice President of the United States).

For several days, the chat hosted what Goldberg described as a fascinating political discussion. The editor claims that on March 15, a user named "Pete Hegseth" (the name of the Pentagon chief) posted a message allegedly containing details of upcoming strikes against the Houthis, including a list of targets, the weaponry to be used, and the estimated start time of the strikes. Goldberg noted that this timing coincided with the first reports of bombings appearing on social media.

According to the journalist, White House National Security Council Spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed to him the authenticity of the group chat on Signal.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump, when asked by journalists to comment on The Atlantic editor’s article, stated that he was unaware of the situation.

On March 15, following Donald Trump’s orders, the United States launched massive strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, where the group controls approximately one-third of the country’s territory. According to the US Central Command, the operation was aimed at protecting US interests and ensuring the freedom of navigation. In response, the Ansar Allah movement carried out a series of attacks on the US aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the northern Red Sea, using missiles and drones. No reports of damage to the vessel have been received as a result of the strikes.

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