US Defence chief Hegseth defended operations he led in Yemen, Iran and against alleged drug smugglers, stating, "I stand behind every one of these operations. I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow," while portraying the impeachment effort as an attack on US troops. Photo: Internet Source

US Democrats suffered a blow on Tuesday as Republicans in the US House of Representatives blocked a move to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war waged on Iran.

The House failed to secure the votes needed to send the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, with a vote of 211 to 204, handing President Donald Trump a victory just days after his party's disastrous midterm election defeat. Democrats and some Republicans had been hoping to hold a vote on Wednesday, which would have seen Hegseth face formal charges.

The resolution was formally proposed by Trump critic, Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, who was the only member of his party to oppose the procedural manoeuvre, according to US media.

Republicans currently hold a majority in the House, but this will end in January, when Democrats are expected to take control of both chambers of Congress.

Trump's party's midterm defeat comes amid widespread discontent among the US public over the country's war on Iran, as well as soaring gas prices and the rising cost of living.

Trump took to his social media platform, TRUTH Social, to express his strong support for Hegseth, describing him as a "Great American Patriot" who had been exonerated.

Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday, Hegseth called the attempt to impeach him a "farce" while defending the military operations he has carried out under Trump, as well as the war on Iran.

During a Pentagon press conference, he said, "It's a farce, and it's a stunt, and everybody knows it," branding the accusations as "slander" and "sabotage".

Following Hegseth's television appearance, Trump once again showed his support through a TRUTH Social post, writing, "Pete Hegseth gets an 'A' PLUS, PLUS, PLUS."