The world found out shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen.

I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming.

The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m.

The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing.

This is going to require some explaining. 

Senior members of Donald Trump’s cabinet have been involved in a serious security breach while discussing secret military plans for recent US attacks on the Houthi armed group in Yemen.

In an extraordinary blunder, key figures in the Trump administration – including vice-president JD Vance, defense secretary Peter Hegseth, Marco Rubio and the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard – used the commercial chat app Signal to convene and discuss plans – while also including a prominent journalist in the group.

Signal is not approved by the US government for sharing sensitive information.

Others in the chat included Trump adviser Stephen Miller, Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles and key Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.

The breach was revealed in an article published on Monday by Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of the Atlantic magazine, who discovered that he had been included in a Signal chat called “Houthi PC Small Group” and realising that 18 other members of the group included Trump cabinet members.In his account, Goldberg said that he removed sensitive material from his account, including the identity of a senior CIA officer and current operational details.

The report was confirmed by Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the National Security Council who told the magazine: “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”

Hughes added: “The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.

”The incident is likely to further raise concerns over the Trump administration’s trustworthiness with intelligence shared by erstwhile allies – not least as Hegseth boasts at one stage of guaranteeing “100 percent OPSEC – operations security” while a celebrated journalist is reading his message.

The discussions seen by Goldberg include comments from Vance, who appeared unconvinced of the urgency of attacking Yemen, as well as conversations over what price should be expected of Europeans and other countries for the US removing the threat to a key global shipping route.

Security and intelligence commentators in the US described the breach of operational security as unprecedented – both for the use of a commercial chat service and for the inclusion of Goldberg.

“The account identified as ‘JD Vance’ addressed a message at 8:45 to @Pete Hegseth: ‘if you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again,’” Goldberg wrote. (The administration has argued that America’s European allies benefit economically from the US navy’s protection of international shipping lanes.)

Goldberg continues: “The user identified as Hegseth responded three minutes later: “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this.“

Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes.

I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space.”

Yemen’s status as a failed or fragile state stems from a complex history of political fragmentation, external interference, resource scarcity, and socio-economic challenges. While Yemen’s current crisis is rooted in recent conflicts, the underlying causes trace back over a century.

North-South Divide:

Yemen was historically divided into two separate entities:

North Yemen: Dominated by tribal confederations and ruled by Imams under a Zaidi Shia theocracy until 1962.

South Yemen: Colonized by the British in the mid-19th century, later becoming a Marxist state after independence in 1967.

Colonial Era:

The Ottoman Empire controlled parts of Yemen until its collapse in 1918, followed by British colonial rule in Aden (South Yemen).

During the Cold War, North Yemen was backed by Saudi Arabia and the West, while South Yemen aligned with the Soviet Union.

Proxy conflicts between these two spheres of influence further destabilized the region.

Yemen has been a battleground for Saudi-Iranian competition, with both powers funding and arming opposing factions (e.g., Saudi Arabia supports the Yemeni government, while Iran backs the Houthi movement).

The unification of North and South Yemen created a fragile state with deep political and cultural divisions.

Disputes over power-sharing led to a civil war in 1994, exacerbating distrust between northern and southern factions.

Saleh, who ruled Yemen from 1978 to 2012, relied on patronage networks, corruption, and alliances with tribal leaders to maintain power.

Yemen has limited natural resources compared to its Gulf neighbors, with declining oil reserves and chronic water shortages.

Agriculture, the backbone of the economy, has been hindered by droughts, mismanagement, and over-reliance on qat (a water-intensive cash crop chewed for its stimulant effects).

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, with high unemployment and limited access to education and healthcare.

Sunni Muslims (mostly Shafi’i) dominate southern and coastal areas, while Zaidi Shia Muslims are concentrated in the north.

Though Yemenis share a long history of coexistence, sectarian divisions have been exacerbated by regional power struggles and the rise of extremist groups.

Houthi Insurgency:

The Houthi movement, a Zaidi Shia group, began as a rebellion against marginalization in the 1990s.

The conflict escalated in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sana’a, leading to the current civil war.

Saudi-Led Intervention (2015–Present):

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention to restore the internationally recognized government, further devastating the country.

Al-Qaeda and ISIS:

Yemen has become a stronghold for extremist groups like Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS, complicating efforts to stabilize the state.