US Congress Halts Push to Impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Following Defense of War Against Iran

On Tuesday, November 10, the US House of Representatives halted impeachment proceedings targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, voting to refer the resolution back to the relevant committee, effectively freezing the process aimed at holding him accountable before Congress over his role in the outbreak of the war against Iran.

Political Showdown Postponed to January

As a result of this vote, the resolution to impeach Hegseth will not be brought to the floor for a full vote this week, as Democrats and the Republican lawmaker who co-sponsored it had hoped. Nevertheless, attention is shifting toward the potential revival of these proceedings in January, when Democrats regain the majority in Congress following the midterm election results. For his part, US President Donald Trump praised the defeat of the measure, describing his Defense Secretary as a "great patriot."

Hegseth Calls Impeachment a 'Farce' and Outlines War Results

The US Defense Secretary responded sharply to the criticism against him, labeling the lawmakers' actions a "farce" and a "publicity stunt." Hegseth stated that never in American history had a defense secretary been impeached for waging a legally authorized war, stressing that the military confrontation with Iran was decisively concluded in Washington's favor.

Reviewing the toll of the military operations, the secretary said: "In less than 40 days of combat, more than 1,300 targets were destroyed, their ships were sunk, their air force was neutralized, their entire defense industrial base was eradicated, and over 80% of their nuclear infrastructure was eliminated." He added, asserting that Tehran will never obtain an atomic weapon and that history will vindicate this war, contrary to what is currently being claimed.

Defense of Broad Foreign Military Policy

In defending his record at the Pentagon, Hegseth highlighted a series of files he characterized as achievements of his administration, including strikes against drug cartels, operations in Venezuela, the apprehension of Nicolás Maduro, and military responses to the Houthis. He also underscored his role in pressing European nations to increase their financial contributions to NATO, arguing that removing him would only please America's enemies and would represent an insult to US service members.