Democrats move to impeach Hegseth over Iran war

• Impeachment articles cite illegal warfare, abuse of power
• Pentagon taps automakers to boost weapons production

WASHINGTON: House Democrats introduced six articles of impeachment against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing him of “high crimes and misdemeanours” including waging an unauthorised war on Iran.

The resolution, led by Rep Yassamin Ansari, a Democratic Congres­swoman from Arizona, has slim chances of passing due to the Republican majority in the House.

Impeachment is the process by which the House of Representatives brings charges against a government official. Removal from office requires a conviction by the Senate after a trial.

“I’ve introduced Articles of Impeachment against Pete Hegseth for violating his oath, endangering US service members, and committing war crimes, including attacks on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran,” Ansari wrote on the social media platform X. “Only Congress can declare war; his actions demand immediate removal.”

The conflict in the Middle East has contributed to soaring oil prices and has dented President Donald Trump’s approval ratings ahead of midterm elections in November.

The first impeachment article alleges that Hegseth initiated the conflict with Iran “without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorisation by the Congress” and was “knowingly exposing members of the armed forces of the United States to substantial and foreseeable risk of injury or death”.

Another article holds Hegseth responsible for a strike on an Iranian primary school on Feb 28, the day the United States and Israel began military operations against Iran.

The strike killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers.

Hegseth has “authorised, condoned, or failed to prevent the use of military force in a manner inconsistent with the law of armed conflict”, such as the strike on the school, the impeachment document read.

The resolution also criticised Hegseth for so-called “double tap” strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean, stating they were illegal and undermined rules of engagement designed to protect non-combatants.

Other allegations included the “negligence and reckless handling” of sensitive military information through his use of the commercial messaging app Signal to discuss strikes in Yemen, and obstructing congressional oversight.

Weapons production

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that senior US defence officials have held talks with top executives from companies including General Motors and Ford Motor about producing weapons and military supplies.

The talks, which are preliminary and began before the war in Iran, come as the Trump administration wants American manufacturers to play a larger role in weapons production to backstop traditional defence contractors, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.

GE Aerospace and vehicle maker Oshkosh were also involved in the talks, according to the report. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

In a statement to Reuters, a Pentagon official said the Defence Department “is committed to rapidly expanding the defence industrial base by leveraging all available commercial solutions and technologies to ensure our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage”.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2026