This story has all the makings of a Hollywood movie: espionage, dangerous missions And hostageseven gods helicopters in the middle of a sandstorm.
But above all, this event is one watershed: marks the beginning of a long crisis between two countries, the United States and Western countries on the one hand andIran on the other, the effects of which sadly persist still today.
In this article, we look back at the hostage crisis in the American Embassy in Iran, from the 1979 al 1981.
The historical context: the Islamic revolution and the attack on the US embassy
First of all, you need to have some historical context: it’s November 1979. In Iran, there has been an outbreak for several months Islamic revolutionor that movement that led to the birth of Islamic state and to a progressive one deterioration of relationships with the West.
There our story begins precisely in the still confused climate of the first months after the revolution: on November 4, 1979, a group of hundreds of Iranian students and demonstrators, to express their dissent against the United States, stormed the US embassy in Tehranholding in hostage about fifty American citizensamong embassy officials and employees. It is a very serious act.
All the diplomatic negotiations started in the following months failed, so there were gods daring attempts to save them.
The release of the first six hostages: the fake film crew
During the attack on the embassy, six American diplomats they manage to escape from the building and to take refuge at theCanadian Embassy in Tehran, which had been spared by Iranian insurgents. There salvation was still far away, however: They had to stay hidden in that building, unable to return to the United States, with the rioters hot on their trail. The US State Department thinks about how to save them.
Thus the director, the creator of the, comes into play daring rescue mission: Tony Mendez, a CIA agent. The plan involves this: he and other colleagues go undercover in Iran, pretending to be members of a film crew who was supposed to shoot a documentary on exotic places. They even rely on a film producer to organize one false promotion of the film, which would have had the title of Argon. Fake posters for the film are also produced.
Under the guise of a fake directorMendez arrives in Iran and meets the six hostages, to whom he supplies fake Canadian passports And fictitious identities. The plan is extremely riskyas the six could be recognized at any time.
The group heads to the airport, but the American government initially considers the operation too dangerous and decides to cancel it at the last minute. But then, despite the risks, they proceed: the group is about to board when the airport officials receive the order to block the plane. But time is in favor of the hostages: the fake troupe has already left, and the six are safe, flying to the United States.
This operation is known as Canadian Caper and inspired the American film Argo, winner of 3 Oscars.
The failed operation Eagle Claw to save the other hostages
After six months from the seizureone fifty hostages they are still locked up in the US embassy. The negotiations, led by American President Jimmy Carter, are not moving forward. So the American government decides to proceed with therescue operation named Eagle Claw. It’s one complex and risky missionconducted inApril 1980 from Delta Force, i.e. the first anti-terrorism special forces department of the US Army.
This is the floor:
- four C-130 aircraft, loaded with fuel and soldiers, together with eight helicoptersthey would travel to Iran. They would fly at low altitude for escape the radaruntil you reach a base point in an isolated place in the middle of desertapproximately 700km from Tehran, named Desert One.
- After refueling, the eight helicopters they would continue towards another base point, Desert Two, a few kilometers away from Tehran. Here they would wait for nightfall, using camouflage nets so as not to be identified.
- Finally, in middle of the nighta group of agents would have headed by car towards Tehran, for attack the embassy and transfer the hostages in the city stadiumfrom where the helicopters would have them evacuated.
The sandstorm and the fatal accident between the helicopter and the plane
The plan was very delicate, he predicted many steps which had to fit together perfectly, but numerous unexpected events led to its failure.
The planes and helicopters arrive at Desert Onethe first base in the middle of the desert, which was supposed to be a isolated place. And instead suddenly a van appears. To avoid being seen, the Americans decide to launch a anti-tank missilebut that van is actually a tank full of gas, who passed by there casually. The cistern jumps into the airilluminating the entire area e risking revealing the location of planes and helicopters. Shortly after, another vehicle passes, but this time the military decides not to shoot at it, but to detain the vehicle’s occupants for the entire duration of the mission.
Despite the first setbacks, it sets off second part of the operation: the helicopters fly towards Desert Two. But in the middle of the night they are surprised by one sandstorm, and the flight is made even more difficult by the fact that they are forced to fly at low altitude, so as not to be seen by radar. Little by little, during the crossing, the formation loses pieces: two helicopters attack instrumentation problems and return to base Desert Oneanother manages to get to Desert Twobut because of the ihuge damage that he has suffered, he decides to go back. The helicopters that did not suffer damage are Alone five. The number is insufficient to continue the mission: American President Carter decides to abort the operation.
But i troubles are not over yet. The helicopters all return to Desert Onewhere they reunite with the four C-130 aircraft. Now, all means, helicopters and planes, must abandon Iran as soon as possible. But the operations are not simple: it is not easy to move in the middle of the desert sand, with the risk of being discovered. In the attempt to get a helicopter into the airwith the sand raised by the wind reducing visibility, the helicopter blades they shear the fuselage of a C-130 aircraft, which jumps into the air and a fire breaks out.
In the chaos of the moment, the soldiers think they are under attack and, with the vehicles that have remained intact, they manage to take off and abandon the Iranian desert.
In total, they lose their lives in Operation Eagle Claw eight American soldiers, And an Iranian civiliandriving the tanker. The operation failed and represents a disaster for the administration of American President Carter.
Epilogue: the diplomatic agreement for the safety of the hostages
The January 19, 1981more than a year after the attack on the embassy, an agreement was signed in Algiers agreement between the United States and Iranwhich included the release of all hostages and it unfreezing of Iranian assets locked in American banks following the revolution. This episode occurred immediately after the Islamic revolution and marked the beginning of extremely tense relationships between the Iranian regime in Tehran and Western countries. Unfortunately, that tension persists today.
