U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has likened the rescue of a downed US pilot in Iran to the resurrection of Jesus, saying the airman was “a pilot reborn” after being recovered on Easter Sunday.
The pilot was rescued after his F-15 fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday. Iranian sources had reportedly offered a cash reward for his capture following the incident.
Describing the moment the airman made contact, Hegseth said: “When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple and it was powerful. He sent a message: ‘God is good.’ In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and fighting spirit shone through.”
He went on to draw a direct comparison with the Easter story: “You see, shot down on a Friday, Good Friday, hidden in a cave , a crevice — all of Saturday and rescued on Sunday. Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday, a pilot reborn. All home and accounted for. A nation rejoicing. God is good.”
U.S. political and military leaders have repeatedly invoked prayer and biblical themes in their messaging around the conflict, drawing both praise from supporters and criticism from others who question the appropriateness of such language.
During the same press conference, Donald Trump also gave thanks to God for the success of the rescue mission, claiming multiple times that “God was watching us."
