WASHINGTON — Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and longtime critic of the Trump administration, introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, accusing him of committing “high crimes and misdemeanors” in connection with the war in Iran. Massie read the articles on the House floor shortly after the chamber convened at noon. He alleges that Hegseth initiated the conflict without legal authority, ignored a congressional directive to withdraw and caused avoidable civilian casualties. The House must take action on the proposal by Thursday, according to the congressional schedule. Lawmakers are set to leave Washington this week for an extended recess that will last through the midterm elections in November. Republicans are expected to have enough votes to defeat the measure, but the vote could put members from competitive districts in a difficult position. The conflict has become deeply unpopular with the American public and has contributed to higher costs in the United States, according to the report. The Trump administration has defended the war as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Experts cited in the report have said Iran was not close to developing one before the conflict began six months ago. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson defended Hegseth in a statement, calling him “a transformative leader” and saying the department remains unified behind his agenda and committed to putting service members and the country first. Massie’s challenge comes as he prepares to leave Congress after losing his Republican primary to a Trump-backed opponent. His disagreements with the president have extended beyond Iran policy. Massie also worked with Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, to force the administration to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.