60 Minutes revisited the decade-long mystery of debilitating brain injuries suffered by U.S. diplomats, spies and military personnel — commonly called “Havana Syndrome” — and reported new classified developments that may finally explain the cases. Separately, Major Garrett interviewed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about the U.S. campaign against Iran.
Havana Syndrome investigation and new weapon intelligence
For years victims described sudden, overpowering sensations — ear pain, intense pressure, vertigo, convulsions and lasting cognitive, balance and sensory damage. Governments often paid for treatment but questioned whether adversaries were responsible, offering alternative explanations such as environmental causes, infection or psychosomatic reactions. A 2023 intelligence assessment concluded it was “very unlikely” these were attacks by a foreign adversary, leaving many sufferers feeling dismissed.
Independent scientific reviews led by Stanford’s Dr. David Relman in 2020 and 2022 found a plausible mechanism: pulsed microwave (radiofrequency) energy can produce brief but damaging biological effects. Relman’s panels traced much of the relevant research to laboratories in the former Soviet Union, where experiments decades ago suggested pulsed microwaves could cause symptoms similar to those reported by victims.
60 Minutes reported that U.S. agents investigating illicit arms markets obtained intelligence that a Russian criminal network had been selling a miniaturized microwave weapon. Undercover Homeland Security agents allegedly purchased the device in 2024 in a mission funded by the Pentagon at a cost of about $15 million. The weapon, described by three independent sources to 60 Minutes, purportedly is portable, concealable, silent, does not create oven-like heating, and can be programmed to emit pulsed microwave waveforms with biological effects at ranges of several hundred feet and the ability to penetrate windows and drywall. Sources emphasized that the critical element is software shaping the electromagnetic pulses to produce biological effects.
According to the report, the device was tested in a U.S. military laboratory for over a year; animal tests on rats and sheep reportedly produced injuries consistent with those seen in human victims. The classified investigation also compiled security-camera footage described to reporters — including a restaurant video in Istanbul showing people at a table suddenly clutching their heads, and a stairwell camera at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna capturing two people collapsing — which sources say support the attack hypothesis.
The program included interviews with former and current officials. One former CIA officer who worked on the agency’s Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI) unit resigned in disgust, saying the investigation’s apparent objective became “bring down the temperature” by steering conclusions toward environmental or psychosomatic causes rather than state actors. He described morale problems and insensitivity toward victims and said that some CIA personnel dismissed evidence without producing alternative findings. Retired CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos and others who suffered injuries said the discovery of a compact microwave device vindicates them. Polymeropoulos described moral injury from feeling betrayed by agencies that he felt did not support injured officers.
Sources told 60 Minutes the Biden White House privately believed the victims and convened meetings with them, and that a public statement backing victims was drafted but not released. The 2023 intelligence assessment statement that attacks were “very unlikely” has not been changed publicly; the Trump administration, the program reported, has briefed congressional intelligence leaders and shown them a classified photograph of the weapon. Some Department of Defense investigators reportedly have been reassigned to weapons development units. Officials warned that if a miniaturized weapon existed in Russia’s hands, loss of control could allow it to be used by others.
Scientists and advocates
Dr. Relman reiterated that pulsed microwave radiation was a plausible cause for a subset of cases and noted Russian research dating back decades on pulsed microwaves and biological effects. Victims and advocates urged recognition and care. Some military victims want Purple Hearts to acknowledge injuries sustained in service.
Hegseth interview: U.S. campaign against Iran
Major Garrett’s interview with Secretary Hegseth came as U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets continued. Hegseth described a multi-phase campaign he said was “on track,” emphasizing U.S. and Israeli airpower and conventional munitions. He stressed that the current operations are not “regime-change” wars in the classic sense (no mass U.S. ground occupation), though he said the regime has been weakened and the U.S. is “fighting to win,” setting terms to render Iranian forces combat-ineffective.
On the administration’s aim for “unconditional surrender,” Hegseth said that means making Iran unable to fight and able only to accept terms. He declined to provide specifics about options, including force levels or whether to use ground troops, saying it would be unwise to disclose plans.
Hegseth addressed assertions that Israeli intelligence shaped U.S. targeting: he said intelligence is shared and vetted by U.S. agencies, and the president controls whether to exploit opportunities. Garrett asked if this was an opportunity rather than an imminent threat; Hegseth dismissed that as “silly and academic,” citing long-standing Iranian threats, nuclear ambitions and prior U.S. efforts against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
On Russia, Garrett cited sources claiming Moscow provided intelligence to Iran. Hegseth said U.S. commanders were aware of who is communicating with whom and that the president knows how to mitigate risks through direct diplomatic engagement. He would not say whether Russian support puts U.S. personnel in greater danger, saying Americans are not being put in danger and that commanders plan for and mitigate risks.
Casualties and investigations
Hegseth acknowledged U.S. casualties and said the campaign will have more casualties but would harden U.S. resolve. He said the U.S. investigates reports of civilian harm; when asked about reports of civilian deaths, including children at a school, he said they were being investigated and declined to declare responsibility pending the findings.
On nuclear materials, Hegseth maintained there are multiple options to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and that the administration will ensure Iran’s nuclear ambitions are thwarted, without detailing methods.
Closing segment: innovation
In a short final segment, Bill Ford reflected on American innovation, crediting investment in workers and opportunity (referencing Henry Ford’s $5 day as transformational) and arguing that empowering people and investing in communities fuels long-term innovation.
Overall, the broadcast combined a report alleging classified U.S. efforts produced evidence of a weapon that could explain a decade of mysterious injuries, and a policy interview laying out the U.S. military posture and objectives amid the campaign against Iran.
