A US Air Force weapons officer, identified only by the callsign "Dude 44 Bravo," has described surviving two days behind enemy lines in Iran after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down by a shoulder-fired missile on 2 April. The aircraft was struck while conducting a strike near Isfahan on facilities linked to Iran's drone and missile programme, forcing Bravo and the pilot, known as "Alpha," to eject; Bravo's parachute failed, sending him plummeting to the ground at an estimated 70 to 100 mph and leaving him with a broken back, arm and shoulder, and a sprained ankle. The account, aired on 60 Minutes, underscores the danger faced by US aircrew operating over hostile territory and the scale of the effort mounted to recover them.

Despite his injuries, Bravo climbed a 7,000-foot ridgeline to evade Iranian forces, who placed a $60,000 bounty on his capture and sent armed groups, including local tribesmen, searching the mountains, at times coming within a few hundred metres of his position. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was woken overnight to be told of the crash and vowed the crew would be recovered "whether they're alive or not," while General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed Iranian ground forces were actively hunting the pair before Bravo was eventually rescued.