Republican Representative Thomas Massie has introduced eight articles of impeachment against US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing actions related to Iran, Venezuela and Yemen as well as civilian casualties. According to Euronews, Massie plans to force a vote in the House of Representatives this week. The move marks a formal step in the Pete Hegseth impeachment effort.
According to The Hindu, Representative Ro Khanna and other lawmakers supported the articles. The articles allege violations of the 1973 War Powers Resolution, along with misconduct involving civilian casualties and operations in Yemen and Venezuela.
Article I charges Hegseth with launching hostilities against Iran on February 28, 2026, without a congressional declaration, statutory authorisation or a national emergency caused by an Iranian attack, according to The Hindu. Article II alleges that Hegseth directed the Department of Defence to ignore House Concurrent Resolution 86, which both chambers passed in June 2026 to end unauthorised hostilities. The Hindu says the department is also referred to as the Department of War.
Article III focuses on a February 28, 2026, cruise missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Iran. The articles say the strike killed and wounded more than 200 civilians, mostly children. These are claims made in the articles, not verified counts.
Massie says Hegseth broke the law by continuing military operations in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorisation, Euronews reports. Massie has also said the move is meant to pressure President Donald Trump into replacing Hegseth before Democrats can launch their own impeachment proceedings, according to The Hindu.
Trump has strongly criticised Massie, questioning his motives and calling him "a stone-cold loser", according to Euronews. The Hindu reports that Trump has maintained his support for Hegseth and has repeatedly dismissed suggestions of replacing him. Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend host, is one of Trump’s handpicked appointees in his second term. The Hindu says he took charge of the Department of War without administrative experience commensurate with the post.
Al Jazeera reports that newly elected Democrats say holding Hegseth accountable will be a priority in the next Congress. Its coverage was available only as a headline and short excerpt, so details on those plans are limited.
Several key points rest on a single outlet. The Venezuela and Yemen allegations, including the January 3, 2026, Caracas operation and the operation known as Rough Rider, come only from the resolution as described by The Hindu, with no independent confirmation or official response. The alleged leaked conversations, in which Hegseth reportedly acknowledged no imminent threat, are not independently sourced.
The sources do not include any response from Hegseth or the Pentagon to the allegations, and no Republican leadership or Senate reaction is reported. The outcome of the planned House vote is not yet known, as the reports were published before it took place.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.