What are the impeachment articles facing US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth?
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US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaking to reporters about the impeachment case against him on Nov 10.
PHOTO: EPA
WASHINGTON - Republican US Representative Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, related to the war in Iran, President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela and even some administration actions in Washington.
Hegseth has denied wrongdoing, while Trump has criticised Massie and pledged to stand by his defence secretary.
Here are the eight “high crimes and misdemeanours” in the unusual Republican-led impeachment effort against a Republican official.
Iran
Three of the charges are related to the conflict in Iran. Hegseth is accused of directing, authorising and sustaining military actions against Iran beyond a 60-day limit without a formal declaration of war or authorisation for the use of military force (AUMF) by Congress.
A fourth Iran-related charge accuses Hegseth of ignoring laws requiring that US forces minimise civilian casualties, related to a strike on a girls school in Minab on Feb 28, the first day of the conflict, that killed scores of children.
A US strike on a girls’ school in Minab on Feb 28 killed scores of children.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Venezuela
Two charges are related to Venezuela, whose president, Nicolas Maduro, was removed by US forces in January 2026.
Hegseth is accused of directing the kidnapping of a sovereign foreign leader and authorising extrajudicial lethal strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific that have resulted in more than 220 deaths.
Yemen
Hegseth is accused of directing and executing unlawful military strikes and operations in Yemen, specifically “Operation Rough Rider,” a 2025 US and British air and naval campaign against Iran-aligned Houthi fighters.
Free speech
Hegseth is accused of retaliating against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, despite legal protection of his speech.
In 2025, Hegseth sought to prosecute Kelly and demote him from his retired Navy captain rank after he and five other Democrats in Congress with backgrounds in the military and intelligence urged US troops to refuse illegal orders. REUTERS