'No Secretary Of Defence Has Ever Been Impeached': Pete Hegseth Defends Iran War Actions Amid Removal Push

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday (November 10) mounted a strong defence against a congressional impeachment effort, accusing a Republican lawmaker of targeting him over policy disagreements rather than any impeachable offence. Hegseth described the move as an attempt to undermine the US military and called it“sabotage”.

Speaking at his first Pentagon press briefing in six months, Hegseth pushed back against an impeachment resolution introduced by outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. The resolution, filed in the House of Representatives on Monday, seeks to remove Hegseth over his handling of the US war against Iran and other military operations.

“In the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations,” Hegseth told reporters.

Massie's impeachment resolution largely centres on the Iran conflict but also raises questions about Hegseth's role in US military operations in Yemen against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and in Venezuela. Massie has argued that Hegseth's actions amount to“high crimes and misdemeanors” and that his leadership of the Pentagon warrants impeachment.

The resolution sets the stage for a potentially contentious vote in the House, with lawmakers facing pressure following significant Republican losses in last week's midterm elections. The Iran war and its economic consequences, particularly rising energy prices, have emerged as major political concerns.

A House vote could take place by midweek, although the resolution's prospects and the next steps remain uncertain.

During Tuesday's briefing, Hegseth portrayed the impeachment push as an attack on American military personnel and their achievements, arguing that it could weaken the country's position against its adversaries.

“This is not patriotism,” he said.“This is sabotage.”

He further argued that Massie's move sends the wrong message to countries and groups hostile to Washington.

Hegseth said the effort“tells our enemies -- Iran, the cartels, every adversary watching -- the United States will actually punish its own warriors and its own civilian leadership for successfully executing lawful military operations.”

Trump backs Hegseth amid growing criticism over Iran war

US President Donald Trump has publicly backed Hegseth, citing the January military raid that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and American operations against Iran. Trump has repeatedly claimed that US strikes have“obliterated” Iran's navy and air force.

However, Iran has continued to launch attacks against US military bases in the Middle East and disrupted shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz during the more than eight-month-old conflict. The disruption has contributed to rising global oil prices.

Trump told reporters on Monday that the Iran war was“militarily is effectively over” and reiterated his claim that Tehran was keen to reach an agreement with Washington.

Hegseth has also defended the Trump administration's military strategy in recent public appearances. Speaking after an address at the Naval War College in Rhode Island on Monday, he accused critics of being politically motivated and opposing the administration's military successes.

“There's a lot of politically motivated people who may have substantial policy disagreements, but their disagreements are with success,” he said, adding that he was prepared to defend the administration's military actions.

Last week, Hegseth also released a video on social media in which he described the impeachment effort as being driven by“the politics of personal destruction”.

“That won't work with me. You can rest assured of that,” he said.

Following the video, several Pentagon political appointees posted images of Hegseth carrying the message,“Stand. Fight. Defend the Republic.”

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth remained committed to his role despite the impeachment push.

In a statement, Parnell said that“despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats,” Hegseth was“100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump's term in office.”

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