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A major controversy has erupted after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth drew a religious comparison between a rescued F-15E pilot and Jesus, sparking backlash and intense debate across the United States.
Speaking about the high-risk rescue mission inside Iran, Hegseth described how the airman was “shot down on Good Friday, hidden in a cave, and rescued on Sunday,” likening the sequence to the biblical story of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

The remarks—made amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions—have drawn sharp reactions, with critics questioning the use of religious imagery in a military context, while supporters see it as a reflection of Hegseth’s well-known public faith.

The rescue itself was one of the most complex operations of the war so far, involving dozens of aircraft, deception tactics, and nearly 48 hours of evasion by the downed pilot before extraction

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00:00Shot down on a Friday. Good Friday. Hidden in a cave. A crevice. All of Saturday. And rescued on Sunday.
00:12Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. A pilot reborn. All home and accounted for.
00:22A nation rejoicing. God is good.
00:26And to our adversaries watching from Tehran, let this be a clear message. The United States military will go anywhere
00:34at any time to protect our own and complete the mission. We execute with precision. We control the sky. You
00:44see, we flew for seven hours in daylight over Iran to get the first pilot.
00:50And we flew seven hours in the middle of the night to get the second. And Iran did nothing about
00:58it. Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Americans, and especially the brave warriors in our armed forces, over this Easter weekend, the
01:06United States military has once again proved why we possess
01:09the greatest fighting force the world has ever known. In two extraordinary combat search and rescue operations deep inside enemy
01:18territory in Iran, our warriors executed missions of breathtaking skill, courage, and precision.
01:26When our warriors are unleashed. When our warriors are unleashed. When our warriors are unleashed, as this president has allowed
01:31them to be, they are unstoppable.
01:35When American airmen were down behind enemy lines, our forces and our president did not hesitate. Special operators supported by
01:42elite air crews and intelligence professionals move swiftly and decisively into treacherous mountain terrain under the constant threat of Iranian
01:50forces closing in. Ultimately, it was an impotent Iranian threat.
01:56And today, as the CIA director mentioned, Iran's military, and we know this is embarrassed and humiliated, and they should
02:04be.
02:05Now, these are not routine operations. They were high risk, high stakes missions conducted in the heart of enemy territory.
02:12This was not just barely into Iran. This was deep into Iran involving coordinated strikes to suppress threats, deception tactics
02:20to protect our teams and full synchronization across air ground and special operations.
02:25The Iranians are still asking themselves right now, how did the Americans do this?
02:32One downed airman evaded capture for more than a day, scaling rugged ridges while hunted by the enemy. When he
02:40was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple and it was powerful.
02:48He sent a message, God is good. In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and fighting spirit shone
02:59through. You see, shot down on a Friday, good Friday, hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, and
03:09rescued on Sunday.
03:12Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for,
03:22a nation rejoicing. God is good.
03:27Despite incoming fire and unforgiving conditions, our troops brought every American home. No American lives were lost. We leave no
03:36man behind. And that is not luck.
03:39It's the result of unmatched training, superior technology, an unbreakable warrior ethos, and sheer American grit. Our special operators, pilots,
03:50and support crews performed with near perfection under fire. And they were lethal.
03:57Just ask any Iranian soldier who dared attempt to get anywhere near that pilot before or during that mission. Death
04:06from above.
04:09Our troops turned a potential tragedy into a resounding demonstration of American resolve and capability. That's what excellence in uniform
04:16looks like.
04:17To those heroes who planned and executed these rescues, your nation stands in awe. I stand in awe. The chairman
04:23stands in awe. We all stand in awe of your professionalism and bravery.
04:27We serve for you. You embody the very best of America. To the rescued airmen and their families, welcome home.
04:34Your courage and endurance, the quiet declaration of faith amid the storm inspires us all.
04:42God is good. God is good every day. And to our adversaries watching from Tehran, let this be a clear
04:50message.
04:51The United States military will go anywhere at any time to protect our own and complete the mission.
04:59We execute with precision. We control the skies. You see, we flew for seven hours in daylight over Iran to
05:08get the first pilot.
05:09And we flew seven hours in the middle of the night to get the second. And Iran did nothing about
05:17it.
05:19We fight with honor. And under President Trump's leadership, we win. So God bless our troops. God bless President Trump.
05:26And God bless the United States of America.
05:28Make no mistake about it. None of this would have been possible without the courageous leadership and ironclad determination of
05:36President Donald J. Trump.
05:39From the moment our airmen went down, President Trump made it clear we will leave no one behind.
05:46The first mission, the first of two, was an audacious daylight thunder run right up the middle.
05:53It was authorized in less than two hours from that pilot going down when we knew where he was.
06:01And it was authorized in the middle of the night because anybody that's worked for this man knows he's up
06:06in the middle of the night.
06:07Authorized immediately, without hesitation, audaciously.
06:11The second mission, as soon as we knew where that pilot was, and John was certainly helpful in that, also
06:18executed immediately.
06:19You know, I looked up at my screen when the final mission was complete inside our SCIF, our secure facility.
06:25And we have a running VTC, a running coordination cell. And the top of it read 45 minutes and 45
06:33hours and 56 minutes.
06:36For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call open for coordination. From the moment our pilots went down,
06:43our mission was unblinking.
06:46The call never dropped. The meeting never stopped. The planning never ceased.
06:51The president demanded rapid, decisive action. He backed our military with the full weight of his resolve, refusing to let
06:58enemy propaganda or tactical setbacks deter us.
07:01His leadership ensured that every lethal and nonlethal resource was brought to bear, that our forces had the authorities and
07:10the support they needed to succeed.
07:12When the president says he has the backs of our war fighters, he means it. And it means a great
07:18deal.
07:18And it's a big difference on the battlefield.
07:21President Trump understands that peace through strength is not a slogan. It is a doctrine that saves American lives.
07:29His unwavering commitment to rebuilding our military and restoring the warrior spirit has paid dividends in missions just like this
07:37one.
07:38Under his command, America projects power with confidence and brings our people home with victory.
07:45And that continues today, by the way. Per the president's direction, today will be the largest volume of strikes since
07:51day one of this operation.
07:53Tomorrow, even more than today. And then Iran has a choice. Choose wisely. Because this president does not play around.
08:03You can ask Soleimani. You can ask Maduro. You can ask Khomeini.
08:12Subscribe to One India and never miss an update. Download the One India app now.
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