As Donald Trump’s inner circle debated the supremely sensitive question of bombing the Houthis in Yemen, Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, stressed one risk of delay: “This leaks and we look indecisive.”

The irony is that everything had already leaked – in fact, a journalist from The Atlantic magazine, Jeffrey Goldberg, had been included in the whole discussion.

We knew that the Trump administration scorned convention; we knew that powerful Americans have often taken journalists into their confidence and allowed extraordinary access. The venerable Bob Woodward and Mr Goldberg himself can attest to that.

But can anyone imagine a precedent for copying a journalist – presumably by mistake – into a high-stakes debate about an imminent military operation?

That is what makes this security breach so remarkable. Mr Goldberg says that he was not only included in the back and forth between the principals on whether to strike the Houthis, he also had advance knowledge of the timing and targets of the operation.