India, Nov. 11 -- Defence Secretary Hegseth is scheduled to give his first news conference from the Pentagon in six months on Tuesday, just a day after a Republican lawmaker launched an effort to impeach him over his handling of the unpopular war against Iran and other actions.

The briefing will be Hegseth's first since May even as the US military has kept up intermittent operations against the Islamic Republic as well as fatal strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in Latin America.

Hegseth, who has said the news conference would focus on the impeachment threat, is gearing up for a fight, having launched a social media blitz and saying he is ready to defend his and President Donald Trump's actions from "politically motivated people."...