60 Minutes Reports on “Shot Down Over Iran”, “The Pardon Economy” & “Battering Ram” on September 13 2026
60 Minutes launches its 59th season on Sunday, September 13, 2026, with three new reports spanning a dramatic military rescue inside Iran, an undercover investigation into the business surrounding presidential pardons, and an inside look at the Los Angeles Rams.
The Season 59 premiere features Norah O’Donnell, Lesley Stahl and Jon Wertheim, with stories titled “Shot Down Over Iran,” “The Pardon Economy” and “Battering Ram.”
The new episode airs Sunday from 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET on CBS, following NFL football, and from 7:00-8:00 p.m. PT. The broadcast will also be available to stream on Paramount+.
- Shot Down Over Iran: 60 Minutes Reports on a Dramatic Rescue Behind Enemy Lines
- The Pardon Economy: 60 Minutes Goes Undercover Inside the Business of Seeking a Trump Pardon
- Battering Ram: 60 Minutes Goes Inside the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl Quest
Shot Down Over Iran
Norah O’Donnell reports “Shot Down Over Iran,” the remarkable story of the rescue of a two-man U.S. Air Force crew after their F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran 34 days into the war.
One of the rescued Air Force officers speaks with O’Donnell in his first interview about the ordeal, recounting his harrowing ejection from the fighter jet and what happened after he reached the ground.
The officer spent approximately two days alone inside Iran, injured and stranded as enemy forces searched for him. With a bounty on his head and the danger of capture growing, an enormous effort was underway to locate and extract him.
60 Minutes reconstructs the search-and-rescue mission involving the U.S. Air Force and American special operations forces. CBS describes it as one of the riskiest and most complex rescue operations of its kind in U.S. military history.
The mission ultimately concluded on Easter Sunday, April 5, after a tense two-day effort to recover the crew.
O’Donnell’s interview promises to give viewers a firsthand account of what it was like for the officer on the ground, from surviving the initial ejection to attempting to remain undetected while waiting for American forces to reach him.
Keith Sharman is the producer of “Shot Down Over Iran.”
The Pardon Economy
Lesley Stahl investigates the increasingly lucrative world surrounding presidential clemency in “The Pardon Economy.”
American presidents have held the constitutional power to pardon federal crimes since the days of George Washington, and the use of that authority has frequently generated controversy. 60 Minutes, however, examines how seeking a pardon has also developed into a business.
The report focuses on lawyers and lobbyists who offer their services to convicted people hoping to obtain presidential clemency, examining what CBS describes as a new “pardon economy” that has emerged during the Trump presidency.
A newly released preview reveals that Stahl’s report includes an important undercover component. Rather than relying solely on interviews about the pardon business, 60 Minutes uses hidden cameras to investigate people offering to broker pardons for convicted felons.
The investigation examines how prospective clients can be offered a potential path toward presidential clemency in exchange for substantial fees, even though there is no guarantee that paying for those services will result in a pardon.
The hidden-camera footage should give viewers a rare look at how the business operates from the perspective of someone seeking help. It also raises broader questions about access, influence and who can afford to hire people claiming they may be able to bring a clemency request to the attention of those with political connections.
Stahl’s report moves beyond the controversy surrounding individual pardons to examine the infrastructure that has developed around them — and how presidential clemency itself can become the basis for a potentially lucrative lobbying business.
Shachar Bar-On and Michael Kaplan are the producers of “The Pardon Economy.”
Battering Ram
The Season 59 premiere changes gears with “Battering Ram,” as correspondent Jon Wertheim heads inside the Los Angeles Rams ahead of another NFL season.
Wertheim reports from the sidelines of a Rams preseason practice, gaining access to the organization as it prepares for what many expect could be another serious run at the Super Bowl.
At the center of the report are interviews with three of the franchise’s most influential figures: head coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead and quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Together, McVay and Snead have helped shape the modern Rams, while Stafford remains the veteran leader on the field. 60 Minutes examines the thinking behind an organization CBS describes as both a “superteam” and an early favorite to win the Super Bowl.
The report offers viewers a look beyond what happens during games, exploring how the Rams are constructed and how the team’s leadership searches for advantages in one of professional sports’ most competitive environments.
Wertheim’s conversations with McVay, Snead and Stafford should also provide insight into the expectations surrounding the team and the pressure that comes with entering a season viewed as a championship contender.
Aaron Weisz and Ian Flickinger are the producers of “Battering Ram.”
When Is 60 Minutes on Tonight?
The 60 Minutes Season 59 premiere airs Sunday, September 13, 2026, on CBS.
The episode is scheduled for 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET following NFL football and 7:00-8:00 p.m. PT. Because the Eastern broadcast follows CBS’s NFL coverage, viewers should be aware that football can sometimes affect the precise start time.
The episode will also be available through Paramount+.
The September 13 premiere features “Shot Down Over Iran,” with Norah O’Donnell; “The Pardon Economy,” with Lesley Stahl; and “Battering Ram,” with Jon Wertheim.
With a firsthand account of a dangerous military rescue, a hidden-camera investigation into presidential pardon brokering and unprecedented access to one of the NFL’s leading teams, 60 Minutes is opening its 59th season with three distinctly different stories.
More 60 Minutes September 13 2026
- 60 Minutes Reports on “Shot Down Over Iran”, “The Pardon Economy” & “Battering Ram” on September 13 2026
- Shot Down Over Iran: 60 Minutes Reports on a Dramatic Rescue Behind Enemy Lines
- The Pardon Economy: 60 Minutes Goes Undercover Inside the Business of Seeking a Trump Pardon
- Battering Ram: 60 Minutes Goes Inside the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl Quest
