Yassamin Ansari

Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian American, on Wednesday introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over the U.S. war in Iran.

A dozen Democrats signed on as cosponsors of the six articles, three of which are “unauthorized war against Iran,” “abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces” and “violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians.” The measure is unlikely to pass the Republican-led House and even less likely to slide through the Senate.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told Newsweek, in part, via email Wednesday shortly after the articles were filed: “This is just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the Presidents’ [sic] objectives in Iran. Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and project peace through strength.”

Newsweek has reached out to Ansari’s team for comment via email on Wednesday.

What To Know

Ansari, of Arizona, had previously said she would introduce the articles sometime this week, and formally filed them on Wednesday.

“Pete Hegseth broke his oath to the Constitution, put U.S. troops at grave risk through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, engaged in abuse of office and conduct beneath the dignity of his office, and carried out unlawful military actions despite his obligation to refuse—including strikes on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran. Hegseth’s conduct meets the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors and warrants immediate removal by Congress,” she said in an announcement introducing the articles of impeachment.

The United States and Israel have been at war with Iran for more than six weeks, beginning with U.S. airstrikes on February 28 in the military action dubbed "Operation Epic Fury." Dozens of top Iranian leaders have been killed in the conflict, including longtime-ruling Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has said more than 3,500 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, including at least 1,665 civilians.

Ansari has repeatedly pointed to the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, which killed more than 165 people, mostly children, as a stark example of the war’s human cost and missteps by America. The U.S. Defense Department is still carrying out an investigation into the school bombing, of which Trump had initially accused Iran, but multiple outlets have reported officials disclosing preliminary results attributing blame to the U.S. military.

Ansari added, “As the daughter of Iranian immigrants and as someone who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, I know this absolutely cannot continue. The stakes for U.S. service members and our national security, the Iranian people and innocent civilians everywhere, and global stability are too high to ignore.”

The U.S. and Iran held talks over the weekend in Pakistan after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire.

What Are the Six Articles of Impeachment Filed Against Hegseth?

Unauthorized war against Iran and reckless endangerment of United States servicemembers

Violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians

Negligence and reckless handling of sensitive military information

Obstruction of congressional oversight

Abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces

Conduct bringing disrepute upon the United States and its Armed Forces

In the filing, Ansari says that Hegseth has violated his "constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed" and "engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors." The articles call for him to be removed from office.

Who Are the Cosponsors?

As of Wednesday afternoon, the following 12 Democratic lawmakers had signed on as cosponsors of the articles of impeachment against Hegseth:

Representative Sarah McBride

Representative Lauren Underwood

Representative Al Green

Representative Steve Cohen

Representative Jasmine Crockett

Representative Nikema Williams

Representative Dina Titus

Representative Dave Min

Representative Shri Thanedar

Representative Melanie Stansbury

Representative Mike Quigley

Representative Brittany Pettersen

In December, Thanedar introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth, but they did not succeed. At the time, the Michigan Democrat said Hegseth's actions "are not just reprehensible but illegal as well."

Ansari’s articles are endorsed by MoveOn, Indivisible, Foreign Policy 4 America, Win Without War, Common Defense and the Center for International Policy.

What Happens Next

The articles arrive as two high-profile members of President Donald Trump's Cabinet have recently been ousted, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The measure against Hegseth is unlikely to advance in the Republican-controlled House and Senate. Wilson said in a statement to Newsweek, “This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War.”