Leaked messages from top Trump administration officials have sparked outrage and accusations of war crimes after a report from The Atlantic revealed that high-ranking U.S. officials celebrated a military strike in Yemen that resulted in dozens of civilian deaths. The messages, sent in a Signal group chat, show National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Vice President J.D. Vance applauding the destruction of a civilian building, despite international law prohibiting the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure.
The leaked discussion took place shortly after the U.S. launched a series of airstrikes on Yemen between March 15 and 16, allegedly targeting Houthi leaders but resulting in widespread civilian casualties. The Yemen Data Project reports that at least 25 civilians were killed, including four children, while an additional cancer hospital was struck twice, leaving patients charred beyond recognition.
The messages have raised serious concerns about potential war crimes, as international law mandates that combatants must avoid targeting civilian areas, even when pursuing military objectives. The Biden administration has not yet commented on the leaked messages or whether there will be an investigation into the strikes.
The leaked group chat, published by The Atlantic, includes messages from Michael Waltz, J.D. Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and other top officials. The conversation, which was accidentally leaked after a journalist was added to the Signal chat, provides a rare, uncensored look at internal discussions about U.S. military operations.
Waltz describes the March 15 airstrike in Yemen as an “amazing job,” boasting about the collapse of a civilian building where a Houthi leader was allegedly present.
“Their first target—their top missile guy—we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and now it’s collapsed,” Waltz wrote.
Vice President J.D. Vance responded: “Excellent.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe added: “A good start.”
Waltz then followed up with a fist emoji, a U.S. flag emoji, and a flame emoji, appearing to celebrate the destruction.
These messages have been widely condemned as evidence of a war crime, with legal experts and human rights advocates pointing to international laws that prohibit disproportionate attacks on civilian areas.
The Yemen Data Project has confirmed that the U.S. launched 47 airstrikes in Yemen between March 15 and 16, with many targeting residential buildings. The strikes killed at least 53 people, including 25 civilians.
• The first strike, praised by Waltz, killed 13 civilians and injured nine others in a residential area near Sanaa.
• Additional U.S. strikes in Ibb governorate targeted two residential buildings, killing at least 15 civilians.
• Yemeni officials counted over 30 civilian deaths from the bombings.
Perhaps the most shocking revelation was the U.S. bombing of a newly built cancer hospital—a non-military target that was reportedly struck twice. According to Drop Site, the second strike caused chaos inside the facility, where children screamed from their injuries and some victims were charred beyond recognition. The hospital was completely destroyed.
These attacks violate international law, which prohibits the deliberate targeting of medical facilities under the Geneva Conventions.
Following the publication of the leaked messages, experts in international law and human rights organizations have condemned the U.S. airstrikes.
Dylan Williams, vice president for government affairs at the Center for International Policy, described the messages as:
“Prima facie evidence of at least one war crime applauded by the people who conspired to commit it.”
Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy, criticized U.S. rules of engagement that allow for the destruction of entire civilian buildings to kill a single target.
“Rules of engagement that permit destroying an entire civilian apartment building to kill one alleged terrorist is part of Joe Biden’s legacy… It’s still a war crime though, and Waltz’s text is a confession.”
Beyond the potential war crimes, the leaked chat has raised alarms over national security. The Atlantic reports that the Signal group chat was accidentally exposed after Trump administration officials mistakenly added a journalist to the conversation.
The messages included sensitive information about U.S. war plans, contradicting previous statements from the White House. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had denied that any classified information was shared in the chat, yet the leaks show explicit discussions of military strategy, airstrike targets, and intelligence assessments.
The U.S. has been conducting military operations in Yemen for over a decade, despite never receiving formal Congressional approval for war. Progressive lawmakers have long called the bombings unconstitutional, as the War Powers Act requires military action to be authorized by Congress unless the U.S. is under direct attack.
Houthi officials have condemned the recent U.S. strikes as war crimes, stating that the attacks on residential areas and hospitals violate international law.
The leaked messages have intensified scrutiny over U.S. military actions in Yemen and sparked demands for accountability. Several lawmakers have called for an immediate investigation into the March 15-16 airstrikes and whether war crimes were committed.
So far, the Biden administration has not commented on the leaks or on whether the U.S. will investigate the Trump administration’s handling of military operations in Yemen.
With the U.S. military’s rules of engagement under renewed scrutiny, the leaked messages could have far-reaching implications for America’s role in Yemen, its credibility on human rights, and the legal limits of its military interventions abroad. Whether these revelations will result in real accountability remains to be seen.
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