Rescued Air Force officer speaks for first time about two days in Iran
Weapons system officer shot down in April gives detailed account to 60 Minutes of surviving ejection, evasion, and rescue.
Part of a larger narrative
US-Iran Military Escalation
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- Trump, Denmark and Greenland sign Arctic security deal, two new US bases planned
- Lee Jae Myung rejects Trump's push to send South Korean troops to Iran
- WaPo: Pentagon undercounted Iran war deaths; Hegseth calls report "a complete lie"
- Bessent warns all Iranian airlines will shut down globally by Sept. 23
What to know
- A U.S. Air Force weapons system officer will give his first public account of being shot down over Iran in April and surviving two days behind enemy lines before being rescued.
- The shootdown prompted one of the largest and most complex rescue operations in U.S. military history, with the pilot extracted quickly but the officer evading Iranian forces alone.
- The 60 Minutes interview airs Sunday, Sept. 13, and includes commentary from top military leadership including the Defense Secretary and head of U.S. Central Command.
Dude 44 Bravo U.S. Air Force weapons system officer
Norah O'Donnell 60 Minutes correspondent
Gen. Dan Caine Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Pete Hegseth Defense SecretaryAdmiral Brad Cooper Head of U.S. Central Command
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesvideosposts
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60 Minutes airs first public account of officer's rescue and survival
The weapons system officer gives his first public account of the shootdown, ejection, injuries, evasion of Iranian forces, and rescue. Norah O'Donnell also interviews Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command.
“He spent two days behind enemy lines in Iran.”
— CBS News · source -
first by The Daily Wire, 10d ago · also Washington Examiner, Breitbart, CNN, KTVZ-TV, CBS News
4 more headlines
- U.S. airman shot down in Iran recounts rescue mission: ‘God is good’ Washington Examiner · 10d ago
- ‘Modern-Day Miracle’ -- Airman Shot Down over Iran Details Extraordinary 50-Hour Rescue Behind Enemy Lines Breitbart · 9d ago
- Airman shot down in Iran shares harrowing rescue story CNN · 9d ago
- U.S. airman shot down in Iran says watching crewman's rescue was "proudest dad moment of my life" CBS News · 9d ago
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first by CBS News, 15d ago
5 more headlines
- U.S. Air Force officer shot down in Iran says it's a "modern-day miracle" he survived | 60 Minutes CBS News · 10d ago
- How a wounded Air Force officer stayed safe in Iran after plane was shot down CBS News · 10d ago
- Shot down in Iran, hunted for 50 hours: New details emerge on US rescue op for Air Force officers Alpha, timesofindia.indiatimes.com · 9d ago
- Air Force officer shot down in Iran says he was grateful watching crewmate get rescued CBS News · 9d ago
- Badly wounded U.S. Air Force officer climbed 7,000 foot Iranian ridgeline to hide after being shot down CBS News · 9d ago
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While the fascism-blind NYT and WaPo label the BariBilton 60 Minutes same old, same old, The Guardian gets it right: It's propaganda. US airman recounts Iran rescue in 60 Minutes segment branded propaganda https://www. theguardian.com/media/2026/sep /14/cbs-60-minutes-iran-war-propaganda
2 more of the top 3 · 15 posts in this stretch
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🔴 BREAKING US Air Force Officer Recalls Being Shot Down Over Iran A U.S. Air Force officer involved in the April incident where a fighter jet was shot down over Iran gave an interview to CBS' 60 Minutes. He detailed his harrowing experience of free-falling after the aircraft was targeted, providing new personal accounts of the military... 📰…
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US aviator shot down over Iran recalls 'free-falling' in first interview https://www. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7zvx e1jm7o?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Mideast Conflict @ mideast-conflict-thenewsdesk
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background
Weapons officer rescued after two days behind enemy lines — After two days evading Iranian forces in the Iranian mountains, the weapons system officer was rescued by American forces.
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Pilot rescued within hours; weapons officer remains on ground — The fighter jet's pilot was rescued within hours of the shootdown. The weapons system officer, call sign Dude 44 Bravo, remained alone in the mountains of Iran.
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U.S. fighter jet shot down over Iran; two-man crew downed — A U.S. Air Force fighter jet carrying a two-man crew—a pilot and a weapons system officer—was shot down over Iran. The incident prompted one of the largest and most complex rescue operations in U.S. military history.
Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Daily Mail, 11d ago · also Times of Israel, Indian Express, Jerusalem Post
5 more headlines
- Hegseth, associates pushed F-15 airmen downed over Iran to appear on ’60 Minutes’ The Times of Israel · 11d ago
- Hegseth and associates reportedly pressured two F-15 airmen downed over Iran to appear on '60 Minutes' The Times of Israel · 11d ago
- Secret push exposed: How Hegseth pressured rescued Iran’s F-15 airmen to appear on ’60 Minutes’ Indian Express · 11d ago
- Hegseth, associates pushed F-15 airmen downed over Iran to appear on ’60 Minutes’ – report Times of Israel · 10d ago
- Hegseth, Pentagon pressured F-15 crew to appear in '60 Minutes' Iran rescue story, CNN reports Jerusalem Post · 10d ago
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first by CBS News, 13d ago · also Mediaite, The Hill, Fox News
3 more headlines
- Pete Hegseth Pressured Reluctant U.S. Air Force Members Shot Down in Iran to Talk with 60 Minutes: Report Mediaite · 11d ago
- Air Force colonel recounts how he survived after F-15E jet was shot down over Iran The Hill · 10d ago
- Air Force colonel shot down over Iran reveals desperate prayer in 50-hour fight to survive Fox News · 10d ago
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first by CBS News, 11d ago · also Hindustan Times, Times of India
5 more headlines
- Air Force officer shot down in Iran on surviving behind enemy lines CBS News · 10d ago
- Air Force officer prayed while "free-falling" after being shot down in Iran CBS News · 10d ago
- U.S. Air Force officer shot down in Iran says he prayed while "free-falling" to the ground behind enemy lines CBS News · 10d ago
- Who is Dude 44 Bravo? US Air Force officer shot down in Iran reveals harrowing story of survival behind enemy lines Hindustan Times · 10d ago
- Shot down over Iran, hunted for 50 hrs: How US fighter survived behind enemy lines Times of India · 10d ago
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first by NY Post, 10d ago · also MS NOW, Business Insider
2 more headlines
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first by BBC Middle East, 10d ago · also NBC News, BBC
2 more headlines
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first by The Guardian, 9d ago · also Guardian
1 more headline
- CBS’s 60 Minutes accused of peddling pro-Iran war propaganda in segment Mastodon · 9d ago
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first by CBS News, 10d ago · also The Times of Israel
1 more headline
- US officer shot down over Iran in April tells of ‘terrifying’ free fall with damaged parachute The Times of Israel · 9d ago
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2 outlets Hegseth accused of pressuring two rescued airmen to do interview with Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’
first by Independent UK, 10d ago · also Hindustan Times
1 more headline
- Pete Hegseth met US airmen rescued from Iran over TV interviews: ‘Colonel’ to appear on ‘60 Minutes’ Hindustan Times · 10d ago
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first by CBS News, 15d ago · also The Gateway Pundit
1 more headline
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first by Straight Arrow, 10d ago · also Stars & Stripes
1 more headline
- Downed F-15E airman recounts massive US rescue mission in Iran Stars & Stripes · 10d ago
and 4 smaller pieces
What people are saying 11 voices from 1 site · best of 15 · verbatim
- Sep 14
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www.theguardian.com/media/2026/s... US airman recounts Iran rescue...
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Free fall, prayers, ‘God is Good’: US Air Force officer’s remarkable rescue after Iran shootdown The US officer who spent two days in enemy territory in Iran before being rescued by US forces… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Iran # Military # rescued # survival # USofficer
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https://www. europesays.com/3250060/ Pete Hegseth met US airmen rescued from Iran over TV interviews: ‘Colonel’ to appear on ‘60 Minutes’ # Død # pentagon # PeteHegseth # SecretaryOfDefense # UsAirmen # UsAirmenRescuedFromIran # USDefenseSecretary
- Sep 13
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Air Force colonel shot down over Iran says prayer helped him survive American airman rescue: Inside the daring mission in Iran that saved ‘Dude 44 Bravo’ Former Navy SEAL Andy… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Iran # airandspace # CIA # heroism # jointchiefsofstaff # manhunt # PeteHegseth # USAirForce
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US airman rescued from Iran shares unbelievable tale of survival with ’60 Minutes’ The US Air Force colonel rescued from Iran in April revealed Sunday that the “most terrifying moment” of… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Iran # 60Minutes # pilots # usnews
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Newly declassified videos show the moments downed Air Force officers were rescued in Iran Newly declassified videos obtained first by 60 Minutes show the moments when two U.S. Air Force officers were… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Iran # UnitedStatesAirForce
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6 takeaways from our interview with the Air Force officer shot down in Iran In April, five weeks into a costly and unpopular war, an American fighter jet was shot down over… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Iran # UnitedStatesAirForce
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Pete Hegseth pressured F-15 crew over CBS ’60 Minutes’ Iran rescue interview US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and political officials in his office pressured two crew members from an F-15… # EuropeSays # Headlines # News # Europe # Europa # EU # Iran # F -15 # Iranconflict # iranusconflict # PeteHegseth # USDepartmentofDefense
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Sources: Pete Hegseth pushed for two F-15 crew members rescued from Iran to join a 60 Minutes story; Bari Weiss lobbied Hegseth to give CBS exclusive access (CNN) https://www. cnn.com/2026/09/12/politics/pe ntagon-pressed-airmen-shot-down-over-iran-to-participate-in-60-minutes-interview http:// mediagazer.com/260913/p1#a2609 13p1
- Sep 12
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https://www. cnn.com/2026/09/12/politics/pe ntagon-pressed-airmen-shot-down-over-iran-to-participate-in-60-minutes-interview
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"The two were shot down over Iran and then rescued in April. Multiple anonymous sources told CNN that Hegseth went as far as meeting with them personally about going on '60 Minutes.' Hegseth ignored concerns from military officials that the interview risked exposing classified details of the rescue effort, three anonymous sources told CNN."…

