US War Secretary Peter Hegseth is facing growing criticism from Republicans over the party’s midterm defeat, with critics blaming his role in persuading President Donald Trump to attack Iran, a report says.
Meanwhile, Democrats are also preparing investigations into Hegseth's leadership of the Pentagon, CNN reported.
Republican lawmakers are questioning Hegseth’s handling of the Pentagon, including his management of the war against Iran and strained relations with Congress, the report said.
Republican Representative Thomas Harold Massie of Kentucky has filed eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth and intends to force a House vote when Congress reconvenes next week.
Republicans have criticized Hegseth for promising a swift US victory while advocating further military escalation, CNN reported.
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the political consequences of the war, stating bluntly: “The reason we lost is the war.”
A former senior Pentagon official told CNN that the US-Israeli aggression against Iran has been “primarily a Department of War-led effort” to use military action to resolve a foreign policy issue.
One Republican close to the White House told CNN: “If the president is serious about anyone taking responsibility for it, it is Hegseth.”
“[Hegseth] has been either dishonest or incorrect, neither of which are acceptable, about timelines, goals and objectives since the beginning [of the war],” the Republican added.
Republican Senator Thomas Roland Tillis also questioned Hegseth’s ability to work with Congress, particularly as the Pentagon seeks approval for a proposed $1.5 trillion defense spending package.
“I think after the election, we need to determine whether or not he is the best person to bring those needs to Congress,” Tillis said, warning that Hegseth had “a reckoning” coming.
Meanwhile, Democrats, who are set to take control of Congress on January 3, are preparing investigations into Hegseth’s handling of the war on Iran, changes in military leadership, and US strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in Latin American waters.
CNN also reported that Hegseth’s Ukraine policy could come under scrutiny, while Democratic Representative David Adam Smith pledged stronger oversight of the Pentagon and what he described as the erosion of the “apolitical foundation of the armed forces.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Trump has continued to defend Hegseth, telling reporters on Wednesday that the secretary was “doing a very good job” and dismissing suggestions that he planned to remove him from office.
“If I had to do it all again, I would have to do it again,” Trump said, defending his decision to attack Iran.
Hegseth, meanwhile, has indicated that he intends to remain in office. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Richard Sean Parnell said the secretary “will not back down or be deterred” by investigations he described as “politically motivated.”
The latest round of aggression against Iran began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched large-scale strikes against Iranian territory.
Iran’s Armed Forces responded with daily waves of missile and drone attacks targeting US and Israeli assets across the region under the operational codename “True Promise 4.”
On June 17, Iran and the US signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in an effort to end the aggression.
Iran’s Armed Forces subsequently closed the maritime corridor again after Washington violated the agreement by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports.
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