U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is accused of pressuring the two crew members of an F‑15 shot down over Iran to appear on Bari Weiss’s 60 Minutes, according to reports from CNN citing anonymous sources familiar with the situation. The airmen, rescued in April, were reportedly hesitant to participate. Hegseth allegedly visited them privately and asked if they wanted to share their stories, with one crew member, referred to as “Bravo,” agreeing to the interview while the other, “Alpha,” declined.
Other military officials reportedly warned that placing the airmen on the program could lead to unintended leaks of classified information. Those concerns were said to have been ignored by Hegseth, who, along with his staff, appeared eager to use CBS News to present a dramatic retelling of the rescue.
The Pentagon denied the allegations, with spokesman Sean Parnell calling the story a “complete lie” and emphasizing that each pilot’s decision to participate was voluntary and that operational security had been carefully maintained.
During the interview, Bravo recounted spending a day evading capture by Iranian forces after the aircraft was shot down. The airmen were ultimately rescued by an American special forces team with air support.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was mentioned as among those concerned about potential classified information disclosure. Caine’s office declined to comment on the story beyond reaffirming the Joint Force’s commitment to ensuring no one is left behind.
The Independent has requested comment from CBS News and the Pentagon.
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