US President Donald Trump has strongly defended Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as pressure mounts in Congress to remove him from office over his role in the conflict with Iran.

Trump questioned the rationale behind impeaching one of the administration's most prominent national security figures, arguing that Hegseth had been central to the United States military campaign against Tehran and had helped deliver a major strategic victory.

Backing the administration's military intervention, Trump maintained that American strikes destroyed key elements of Iran's nuclear infrastructure and prevented the country from developing nuclear weapons. He also claimed the operation protected both Israel and the wider Middle East from a significant security threat.

“We saved Israel and the Middle East. There would be no Israel even if we had not saved them from Iran,” Trump said.

Dismissing efforts to remove Hegseth, he added: “And what are we going to do with one of the guys that was most responsible for the war, we want to impeach him.”

The remarks came as House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries publicly backed an impeachment resolution targeting Hegseth. Jeffries accused the Secretary of War of abusing his authority, undermining national security and playing a leading role in what he described as an unnecessary and damaging conflict with Iran.

During an interview with ABC News, Jeffries confirmed his support for legislation introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, signalling that Democrats would review the proposal when lawmakers return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” Jeffries stated.

He further argued that the war had increased economic pressures on Americans and weakened the country's security position.

“The so\-called secretary of defence has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran, which has skyrocketed prices on the American people and made the country less safe. Pete Hegseth has got to go,” Jeffries remarked.

Jeffries also indicated that Democrats would seek legislative avenues to bring the conflict to an end if they assume control of Congress in January. He characterised the military campaign as both costly and burdensome for households facing higher living expenses.

The impeachment effort has gained momentum following recent political developments in Washington, with supporters arguing that Congress should examine Hegseth's conduct during the war and his handling of national security matters. Reports indicate that Massie's proposal contains multiple articles of impeachment, including allegations connected to the administration's prosecution of the Iran conflict.

Hegseth has firmly rejected the accusations and portrayed the campaign against him as a partisan attack designed to damage political opponents.

“It’s all about the politics of personal destruction. Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me. You can rest assured of that,” he said.

Massie originally introduced impeachment articles against Hegseth in September. However, House leadership postponed a planned floor vote, delaying consideration of the measure until after the November midterm elections.

Despite the growing pressure, Trump has continued to stand by Hegseth, making clear that the administration views him as a key architect of its Iran strategy and a senior official it has no intention of removing.

ANI