Hegseth compares Iran rescue to resurrection as Trump threatens strikes on civilian infrastructure

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a White House press briefing Monday to cast the rescue of a U.S. airman shot down over Iran in explicitly Christian terms, comparing the episode to the resurrection of Jesus and calling the servicemember “reborn.”

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Hegseth said the pilot was “shot down on a Friday. Good Friday,” remained hidden through Saturday, and was recovered on Easter Sunday, adding, “God is good.”

The pilot, flying an F-15, was shot down over Iranian territory and survived for nearly 48 hours before being recovered in a high-risk search-and-rescue mission. U.S. officials said the airman evaded capture while on the ground and was located by rescue forces after an intensive operation involving surveillance and coordination across multiple units, the Washington Post reports. The pilot was retrieved alive and is reported to be in stable condition, with officials indicating he suffered dehydration and minor injuries but is expected to recover.

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President Donald Trump, at the same press briefing, escalated his threats against Iran. Trump warned Iran could be “taken out” and described potential attacks on bridges and power plants if Tehran failed to meet U.S. demands by Tuesday.

Those comments came hours after an Easter morning Truth Social post in which Trump wrote, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell. JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

Legal experts say that deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure such as bridges and power plants could violate international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime. Trump also threatened to jail journalists who reported on the downed aircraft and a missing airman if they refused to reveal sources, saying, “Give it up or go to jail.”

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Hegseth’s remarks also land amid broader scrutiny of religion inside the Pentagon. The Washington Post reported in February that he has hosted evangelical worship services and invited outside pastors, including Doug Wilson, a figure the paper described as associated with Christian nationalist ideology.

A Good Friday email advertised a “Protestant Service (No Catholic Mass)” at the Pentagon, raising concerns among critics that certain Christian expressions are being elevated over others within the military, HuffPost reported. The phrasing drew criticism, but, according to Fox News, it is somewhat misleading because Catholics do not celebrate Mass on Good Friday; instead, they observe a separate liturgy.