Mature, Iran and more: Initiated dismissal proceedings against Pete Hegseth

Um Republican congressman today initiated a process of impeachment against U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, criticized, among other issues, for the way he led the war in Iran.

“Hegseth acted contrary to his trust in him as Secretary of Defense (...), to the great detriment of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest harm of the people of the United States”, declared Congressman Thomas Massie, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump.

Massie announced in Congress plenary the beginning of this impeachment process, which, however, is unlikely to result in a dismissal.

In his resolution, the Kentucky congressman accuses the secretary of having he broke the law in leading the war against Iran without Congress' permission.

He further accuses Hegseth of having “ignored laws aimed at minimizing the number of civilian victims,” highlighting in particular the bombing of a primary school in Minab, southern Iran, which cost 120 children their lives in the early hours of the conflict.

Pete Hegseth is also pointed out by “extrajudicial executions”. Under their leadership, the US armed forces have carried out attacks on drug traffickers' vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific, a campaign that has been severely criticized in the light of international law.

Thomas Massie reported it “the kidnapping of a sovereign foreign leader”, referring to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which took place in January.

Despite the heavy defeat in the mid-term elections last week, Republicans hold the majority in both chambers of Congress by January.

The motion against the head of the Pentagon should be put to the vote in the House of Representatives (low chamber) this week.

It is possible that it will be approved, as some Republican Members oppose the Secretary of Defense and there is still a problem of absenteeism in their ranks scheduled for the coming weeks.

In this scenario, Pete Hegseth would be formally the subject of an impeachment process, but would not immediately be relieved of his duties. There would be a trial before the Senate (high chamber), in which a two-thirds majority would be required for its dismissal.

This is an unlikely outcome, since Republicans still have 53 of the 100 senators.

Still in January, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new elect, the Democrats would need the support of about ten Republican senators.

As of today, Pete Hegseth defended the United States military operations: “If you want to contest what we did in the ‘Epic Fury’ or ‘Rough Rider’ operations, or in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, you are contesting the troops and what they have accomplished, which is historical.”.

The Secretary of Defense announced that he will hold a press conference on Tuesday, the first in more than 180 days, to address the ‘impeachment’ process.

Last week, Republican Donald Trump reaffirmed his confidence in Pete Hegseth, highlighting the “very good work” he has been doing.

However, a formal defeat before Congress could force the US Head of State to dismiss his secretary, precisely at a time when the pressure to end the war in Iran is more intense than ever.

The opposition points to a series of scandals involving the former Fox News host, elevated to Pentagon command in 2025.

Recently, he announced the live broadcast of the execution, by a military platoon, of the perpetrator of an attack on American soldiers, but was ultimately disapproved by Donald Trump.

In his early months in office, a journalist revealed that he used a common conversation in the Signal application to inform other authorities about impending military attacks in Yemen, rather than using safe, specific tools for this kind of ultrasensitive information.