Hegseth’s “maximum lethality” comes back to haunt him

The House is due to consider advancing impeachment articles against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, a rare rebuke of a Cabinet official and of his approach to military force. The Republican-led effort is unlikely to remove him: even if the House impeaches, the Senate would have to convict, and it has never removed a Cabinet secretary.

The articles, filed by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, allege eight offences, several connected to the Iran war and its lack of congressional authorisation. Hegseth calls his doctrine “maximum lethality”, favouring overwhelming force and fewer constraints; critics say this departs from longstanding military rules intended to protect civilians and limit violence. He has also backed strikes on suspected drug boats, cut civilian-harm oversight programmes and dismissed senior military lawyers, while the promised decisive result in Iran has not materialised.