US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the decision to launch military action against Iran, saying he would support the operation again despite concerns about its political consequences and its possible role in Republican losses in the midterm elections.During a news conference on Tuesday, Hegseth was asked whether he agreed with Vice President JD Vance‘s assessment that the Iran war was a major reason Republicans lost ground in the midterms.Hegseth said he had great respect for Vance but would not assign blame for the election outcome.“I respect JD greatly, and I’m certainly not going to engage in any finger-pointing,” he said.Hegseth said his focus was on the Pentagon’s responsibilities rather than electoral politics. “Thankfully, politics is not really my thing. I do the Department of War and make sure we’re prepared and ready,” he said, adding that others would assess the conflict and its consequences.However, he backed President Donald Trump‘s position that the military action was justified and said he would support the decision again, even if it remained unpopular with the public.“Absolutely. It was done for the right reasons to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said.He also endorsed Secretary of State Marco Rubio ‘s assessment that the operation may have been necessary despite lacking public support. “It’s not necessarily popular, but it may have been necessary, and that’s certainly how I feel,” Hegseth said.The US administration has given several explanations for the decision to attack Iran. Officials have cited the country’s expanding ballistic missile programme and alleged preparations to target American bases and regional allies. The White House had said in June 2025 that US strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.Hegseth also declined to comment directly on reports that White House chief of staff Stephen Miller believes the war should end. Asked whether he had discussed the issue with Miller, he said the chief of staff was occupied with his new role and that he looked forward to meeting him about areas of cooperation.The news conference also touched on efforts to prevent an impeachment push against Hegseth. He said the Pentagon’s legislative affairs team had been working with Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer.Hegseth credited Johnson with leading the effort and said the administration had been in contact with several members of Congress.He added that lawmakers were examining the matter rather than supporting a vote based on what he described as an unfounded effort.“Whether they love everything that’s been done, they don’t want to vote for something that isn’t real,” he said, thanking Republicans for taking a closer look at the issue.