Republicans in the US House of Representatives have blocked a bid to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth heads the Pentagon, the US defence department.
The House voted 211 to 204 to send the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee.
This stops a planned vote on formal charges against him, at least for now.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Key points
- The House voted 211 to 204 to send the impeachment resolution to a committee.
- The move stops an immediate vote on formal charges against Pete Hegseth.
- Thomas Massie, a Republican, was the only party member to oppose the move.
- Democrats can revive the effort after they take control of Congress in January.
Why did this vote happen at all?
The impeachment effort is linked to the Iran war.
Impeachment is the process in which the House can bring formal charges against a senior official.
The effort came after Democrats won the recent midterm elections by a large margin.
Voters were angry about the Iran war and rising fuel prices.
The vote was procedural. It moved the resolution to a committee. It did not decide whether the charges are true.
What are the charges against Hegseth?
Republican Thomas Massie, a Trump critic, introduced eight articles of impeachment.
Several focus on the Iran war, which has lasted about eight months.
Massie says Hegseth waged war without approval from Congress.
He points to the War Powers Resolution, a law that limits US military action without congressional approval.
Other allegations involve a 2025 conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.
They also involve strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Massie called these strikes extrajudicial killings.
He also accused Hegseth of trying to punish Democratic Senator Mark Kelly over a video urging troops to refuse illegal orders.
Hegseth called the effort a farce and a stunt.
He said, "I stand behind every one of these operations." He added that he would do it again tomorrow.
What happens next for the impeachment effort?
The resolution is now with the Judiciary Committee, so there will be no immediate full House vote.
Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress in January. They can then try to revive the effort.
Vice-President JD Vance said Hegseth had not committed impeachable offences.
President Donald Trump praised the result as an exoneration.
Massie will leave Congress when his term ends.
For readers in India, this story shows how a war far away can shape politics and everyday costs like fuel.
