US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has branded a bid to impeach him as "sabotage" in his first press conference in more than six months, as he defended his record over the Iran conflict.
In the conference, which started at 1pm UK time on Tuesday, Mr Hegseth said the motion for impeachment gives a message to enemies that the US will "punish its own warriors and its own civilian leadership for successfully executing lawful military operations."
He claimed the motion was "not patriotism it is sabotage."
Impeachment resolution filed by Republican lawmaker
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who lost his primary to a Trump-backed opponent, filed the impeachment resolution in the House on Monday. Massie said Hegseth's actions amount to "high crimes and misdemeanors" and his leadership at the Pentagon "warrants impeachment."
Massie said Hegseth "knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders" and "remains a threat to the Constitution." He also stated: "By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorisation, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable."
The resolution follows the Republicans' dismal showing at the US midterm elections where the Democrats took both chambers of Congress. It is widely viewed that rising inflation partly due to the Iran conflict played a big part in the defeat.
Hegseth defends military operations
Hegseth started his press conference with an attack on Massie over his impeachment motion, calling it a "farce and a stunt." He told journalists the bid was a "political spectacle" that was "driven by ego and resentment." Hegseth said the aim is to "damage" Donald Trump as president.
He said that the military operations by the US are "not high crimes they are jobs well done." He stated: "Iran, cartels, Maduro, Yemen... everyone was a lawful operation ordered by the commander in chief and then ordered by myself notified to Congress and executed by American warriors who did their jobs."
On claims that the American military targeted civilians he said that was "slander," adding: "The only people who target civilians are the terrorists we hunt."
Hegseth said that he stands by all the operations that he gave the go-ahead for as defence secretary. He stated: "I stand by every single one of these operations I was proud to execute them and I would do them again." He claimed that his orders meant there would be "no nuclear bomb for Iran ever."
Impact of the Iran conflict
Hegseth has backed his record reiterating that "Iran is devastated," even though the Islamic Republic has been able to keep striking military bases in the Middle East that are used by the United States.
The strikes by Iran are causing billions of pounds in damage, as well as impacting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions to shipping in the waterway, where one-fifth of the world's oil passed before the war, have led to higher energy prices that hit voters' pocketbooks.
Hegseth's defence of the war comes after about 6 in 10 voters said the US made the "wrong decision" in taking military action against Iran, according to The AP Voter Poll, a survey of more than 100,000 voters in the United States.
A vote in the House could come by midweek, but next steps are highly uncertain. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries supports the measure. If most Democrats follow him, Massie would only need support from a few Republicans to impeach Hegseth. If the House votes to impeach, it would fall to the Senate to either dismiss the charges or hold a trial. Republicans remain in the majority in both chambers, until the new Congress convenes in January with Democrats in control.
