Arizona Democrat Files Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth Over Alleged War Crimes in Iran

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) announced Monday she will file articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, accusing him of war crimes and constitutional violations as the Trump administration escalates military operations in Iran.

Ansari, whose parents fled Iran during the 1979 revolution, cited "repeated violations" of the Geneva Convention and unauthorized military strikes that have destroyed civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. She specifically referenced the bombing of a girls' school in Minab, Iran, as grounds for removal from office.

"Donald Trump's deranged statements -- including one on Easter Sunday -- are further entrenching our country and our world in another devastating, never-ending war," Ansari said in a statement. She was referring to Trump's Easter message demanding Iran "open the f---ing Strait" of Hormuz by Tuesday or face strikes on critical infrastructure.

The congresswoman also called for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, arguing that "only Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys."

Ansari's personal history adds weight to her criticism. Her father was a medical student in the United States when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power and couldn't return home. Her mother fled Iran at 17 as the regime restricted women's rights, according to the UK Guardian. She was sent to live with another family in Delaware.

The impeachment announcement comes as the Pentagon celebrates what it calls successful military operations in the region. Over the weekend, U.S. forces conducted a large-scale rescue of a downed airman shot down by Iranian forces. Trump told reporters the operation required significant military resources, though Gen. Dan "Raizin" Caine declined to specify troop numbers for security reasons.

At a White House press conference, Hegseth praised the rescue mission, declaring, "We leave no man behind -- and that is not luck."

Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson dismissed Ansari's impeachment effort as political theater. "Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and unleash epic fury on Iran's radical regime," Wilson told Fox News Digital. "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."

The conflict escalated in February when U.S. and Israeli forces killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ansari initially told the New York Times she "felt a rush of hope, but also unease" at the news, but has since become a vocal critic of how the administration has conducted military operations.

Ansari said she would formally file the impeachment articles "next week" and accused Hegseth of "reckless endangerment of U.S. servicemembers" and "willfully targeting civilian infrastructure."

The constitutional question at the heart of Ansari's complaint is whether the Trump administration has the authority to conduct what amounts to a war without congressional authorization. The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces and limits military action to 60 days without congressional approval.

Whether Ansari's impeachment effort gains traction in a Republican-controlled House remains to be seen. But her willingness to challenge the administration on war powers and civilian casualties signals growing Democratic concern about unchecked military escalation in the Middle East.