Defiant Pete Hegseth defends Iran war as he faces impeachment vote

US defence secretary battles to save his job following Republicans' defeat in midterm elections

Pete Hegseth said an effort by a Republican lawmaker to impeach him over the Iran war was a "farce" as he defended his handling of the conflict in a defiant press conference.

The US defence secretary on Tuesday said the attacks against him were politically motivated, with the House of Representatives preparing to vote on his potential impeachment as early as this week.

Thomas Massie, a Republican lawmaker from Kentucky and prominent critic of President Donald Trump, on Monday filed articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of abusing his power and flouting the US constitution by directing military operations against Iran without congressional authorisation.

Hegseth described these resolutions as a "farce" perpetuated by "one disgruntled guy".

Massie's move "tells our enemies -- Iran, the cartels, every adversary watching -- that the United States will actually punish its own warriors and its own civilian leadership for successfully executing lawful military operations", he added.

These resolutions "mock the constitution, they attack the chain of command" and they "waste" Congress's time, he told reporters.

"This is all politics," Hegseth added. "We will stand, we will fight and we will defend this republic against all enemies -- foreign and domestic."

The efforts of Massie, whose term in Congress ends in January, come as Hegseth already faces pressure to step down after Republicans lost their majority in the House and Senate in a bruising defeat in midterm elections last week.

The Iran war, which has exacerbated a global energy shock, was a hot-button issue for US voters that contributed heavily to Republican losses.

Petrol prices since Trump returned to office have reached a fresh record for a US presidential administration. The average price of petrol during Trump's second term hit $3.46 a gallon, according to data published by the Energy Information Administration last week.

The US president on Tuesday renewed his support for Hegseth, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform that the defence secretary "gets an 'A' PLUS, PLUS, PLUS for his defense against a disgruntled, angry, defeated, former Congressman, Thomas Massie, a TOTAL LOSER!"

A vote to impeach Hegseth would not lead to his removal from office unless he were convicted by the Senate, which could be a much higher hurdle to clear. The new Democratic majorities in Congress will not take effect until January.