U.S. House Democrats introduced six articles of impeachment against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on April 15, accusing him of "high crimes and misdemeanors" including waging war on Iran without congressional approval.
The impeachment resolution is led by Yassamin Ansari, a Democratic Congresswoman from Arizona, and has slim chances of passing due to the Republican majority in the House.
Impeachment is the process by which the U.S. House of Representatives brings charges against a government official for alleged wrongdoing, with removal from office only possible if the Senate convicts after a trial.
"I've introduced Articles of Impeachment against Pete Hegseth for violating his oath, endangering U.S. servicemembers, and committing war crimes, including attacks on civilians and a girls' school in Minab, Iran," Ansari wrote on X.
"Only Congress can declare war; his actions demand immediate removal."
The first impeachment article alleged that Hegseth started the conflict with Iran "without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization by the Congress," and "knowingly exposing members of the Armed Forces of the United States to substantial and foreseeable risk of injury or death."
Another article held Hegseth responsible for the strike on an Iranian primary school on Feb. 28, the day the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, which killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers.
The New York Times has reported that the preliminary findings of a U.S. military investigation indicate that a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to a targeting mistake.
