Israeli Officials Fume Over Disclosure of Intelligence on Houthi Target
Israeli officials have expressed sharp anger to Washington over the exposure of sensitive intelligence shared with the United States after internal messages among senior Trump administration officials about airstrikes in Yemen were leaked. The intelligence came from an Israeli human source in Yemen and was used to help identify a senior Houthi figure for targeting.
According to multiple sources cited by CBS News and The Wall Street Journal, Israel is furious that its contribution to a March 15 US strike was made public, fearing the leak could endanger its asset. The information surfaced after journalist Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic was mistakenly added to a Signal group chat by national security adviser Mike Waltz. Goldberg published screenshots of the chat, which included operational details about the strike.
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Israeli officials reportedly conveyed their concerns to US counterparts, focusing not on the success of the operation itself but on the exposure of how the intelligence was obtained. One American official said the leak compromised a source that Israel had worked hard to cultivate. Israel’s reaction has been described as deeply frustrated, though it is not yet clear whether the incident will have lasting consequences for intelligence sharing between the two allies.
While Trump officials involved in the chat—among them Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe—insist no classified material was shared, US intelligence personnel told CBS News that the type of information discussed is typically treated as classified. Waltz and others argued that foreign partners had already been briefed and that no sources or methods were disclosed, but critics point out that even indirect references can compromise sensitive operations.
The National Security Agency had circulated a bulletin weeks before the chat group was created, warning officials not to use encrypted messaging apps like Signal for discussing operational matters. The bulletin stressed that even encrypted apps are not appropriate for sensitive exchanges and urged caution in communicating with anyone whose identity is not fully verified.
President Donald Trump and his top advisers have attempted to downplay the leak, but Israeli officials appear unconvinced. One US official described Israel’s message as blunt: “You shared what we gave you—and now our source is in danger.”
