The information that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed in a Signal chat room was highly classified at the time it was written, especially because the operation hadn't even begun yet, CNN reported, citing a U.S. Defense Department official familiar with the operation and another source who was briefed on it later.

 The updates Hegseth relayed in the Signal chat room were the sort of real-time, step-by-step instructions a commander would give to the president in a highly classified setting as the operation unfolded.

“These are operational plans that are highly classified to protect the military,” a Defense Department spokesman said. - It's safe to say that anyone in uniform would face a court-martial for this. We don't provide that level of information on unclassified systems to protect the lives and safety of the military personnel conducting these strikes. If we did, it would be completely irresponsible. My most junior analysts know it can't be done.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who is one of the participants in the group chat, acknowledged Tuesday that hypothetically “the preliminary discussion of the decision to strike should be conducted through secret channels.”

CNN military analyst retired Col. J. Cedric Leighton, a retired military analyst, said the details have “all the elements of a military plan, and that means all those elements mean that these materials are classified. Full stop. There is no doubt that this is classified information.”

Mick Mulroy, who served as U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East from 2017-2019, said, “The information was clearly taken from the battle order of an ongoing real-time operation. It is highly classified and protected. Disclosure would jeopardize the entire operation and put lives at risk. After nuclear and classified operations, this information is the most protected.”