Donald Trump has defended Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he has won the war in Iran. He spoke at a White House press briefing on Monday 9 November, after Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth, ABC News reports.
"He certainly, I think, he's won the war in Iran, but he's certainly winning the war"
That was Trump's wording as quoted by ABC News. In the same sentence he says the war has been won and that it is still being won.
According to CBS News, Trump said he does not think military action is "a very necessary thing" in Iran at this time. He added that US forces are "locked and loaded" and that the US is keeping the war at "status quo".
CBS News quotes him as saying: "Iran, militarily, is effectively over. We're just keeping it the status quo. And we're doing that really at the behest of countries that are their neighbors."
ABC News also reports that Trump said on 8 November that the US has not lost any soldiers in the Iran war "in months". That claim has not been independently checked.
Massie's resolution contains eight articles of impeachment. The House must act on it within two legislative days, which puts a vote due by Wednesday.