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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Business
Richard Luscombe

US airman recounts Iran rescue in 60 Minutes segment branded propaganda

a wrecked fighter jet
Wreckage is seen from what Iranian authorities say is a US military helicopter that crashed during a mission to rescue the missing American pilot of an F-15E that was downed earlier this week, in a handout image provided on 5 April 2026 in an unspecified location in Iran. Photograph: Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance via Getty Images

A US airman has spoken of climbing a 7,000ft ridge with a broken back, arm and shoulder after he was shot down in Iran – and of being rescued by a team of American special forces as hostile locals closed in on him.

The air force colonel, identified only by his codename Bravo, appeared on camera Sunday night on CBS’s 60 Minutes in a segment some critics have labelled Pentagon propaganda to boost public perception of Donald Trump’s unpopular war.

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