Pentagon chief faces impeachment push over Iran war
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has reintroduced a resolution to impeach U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of waging war against Iran without congressional authorization and committing other abuses of power, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The Kentucky congressman brought eight articles of impeachment before the House of Representatives on November 9. He invoked a privileged procedure requiring the chamber to take up the matter within two legislative days, although lawmakers could vote to block the measure, Anadolu reported.
The first three articles focus on the Iran war. According to Massie’s official statement, they accuse Hegseth of initiating hostilities without congressional approval, continuing military operations after Congress directed the withdrawal of U.S. forces and exceeding statutory deadlines for ending unauthorized hostilities.
The remaining articles concern alleged failures to protect civilians, extrajudicial killings during strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly over protected speech, the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Venezuela, and military operations in Yemen.
Hegseth dismissed concerns about the impeachment effort and announced a press conference for November 10.
“We’re not worried about impeachment,” he told reporters on November 9, according to Anadolu.
President Donald Trump also defended his defense secretary. Asked during a White House briefing on Nov. 9 whether he would continue supporting Hegseth if he were impeached, Trump replied: “Yeah, I’ll stand by him.”
The resolution does not mean Hegseth has been impeached or removed from office. The House can approve impeachment charges by a simple majority, but conviction and removal require two-thirds of senators present, according to the U.S. Senate.
A historical precedent dates to 1876, when the House impeached Secretary of War William Belknap over corruption allegations despite his resignation earlier that day. The Senate subsequently acquitted him after votes to convict fell short of the required two-thirds majority.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that Trump had said renewed U.S. strikes on Iran were highly unlikely as long as negotiations made progress on Tehran’s nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, he said U.S. forces remained prepared for further military action.
