US defence secretary Pete Hegseth risked imperilling American troops by sharing information that could have been intercepted by a foreign adversary, according to a Pentagon watchdog.

Sky's US partner NBC News is reporting that the Inspector General also found that Mr Hegseth violated military regulations by using his personal phone for official business.

The detail circulated in a group chat on the Signal app in March this year related to an imminent strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Messages reportedly posted by Mr Hegseth included: "1415: Strike drones on target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP)."

Image: U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with Dominican Republic president. Pic: Reuters

Another read: "We are currently clean on OPSEC

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