The Iranian Embassy Assault 1980
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On Wednesday, 30th May 1980, five men calling themselves the Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan walked into the Iranian Embassy in London and took the occupants captive. The hostages included 22 members of staff, a BBC sound recorder and PC Trevor Lock of Scotland Yard's Diplomatic Protection group. The SAS were put on alert for a possible operation and the terrorists were presumed armed and supported by members of the Iraqi Intelligence Services. |
The police opened negotiations with the terrorists. The terrorist leader initially demanded that the Iranian authorities release 91 Arabsanti prisoners being held in jails in Iran. He also requested that Arab ambassadors act as mediators between himself and the British authorities. The deadline set for his demands was 1200 hours on Thursday, 1st May. When it became plain that the Teheran government would not free the prisoners, the terrorists demanded the provision of an aircraft to take them, their hostages, and an Arab ambassador to an unnamed Arab country. |
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The police negotiators remained at their task and managed to secure the release of a sick Iranian woman on Wednesday night and by Friday morning two deadlines had passed without incident. Special Service technicians now tried to insert audio and visual taps into the embassy walls to determine the layout of the building and the position of the terrorists, but were unsuccessful.
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By late Friday, the terrorists were threatening the hostages' lives. The terrorists were furious that their demands had not been fully reported by the news and demanded that the request for Arab mediators be broadcast forthwith. British government officials held talks the next day with various Arab representatives to try and reach an agreement but had no success. On Monday, 5th May, having run out of patience, the terrorists shot a member of the embassy staff. The Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, ordered the SAS to assault the embassy and free the hostages. |
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At 1916 hours, two four-man teams would abseil from the roof down the rear of the building to the ground floor and first-floor balconies. Using frame charges, sledgehammers, and brute force, the teams breached the armoured windows and forced their way in, throwing stun grenades as they went. As these exploded, part of the building caught fire and one member of the assault team, who was tangled in his rope, was in severe danger of being burnt to death. He was cut free and fell onto a balcony, bruised, burnt, but alive. |
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Around the front, the third team entered the front of the building through a first floor window, which they reached by crossing from the balcony at No.16 Princes Gate next door. As the SAS entered the building, having blown the window, the terrorist leader was on the same floor and started to take aim, but was wrestled to the ground by PC Lock. The police officer then drew the 0.38in revolver he had managed to keep hidden throughout the siege but decided not to fire. An SAS man told him to move away and machine-gunned the terrorist. |
The BBC sound recorder made an attempt to escape, but was told to stay put by an SAS man. At this point, a smouldering stun grenade set curtains ablaze in the room and a fire broke out on the first floor. The recorder struggled to a balcony and an SAS man ordered him to cross to another balcony from which he was escorted back into the building until the operation was over. |
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In the telex room on the second floor, where the majority of the hostages were held, the terrorists began shooting. They had killed one of their prisoners and wounded two others before the frontal-assault team burst in. The rescuers called for the hostages to indicate the terrorist and two were pointed out and shot. This mission resulted in five dead terrorists and a sixth was discovered trying to pass himself off as a hostage and was arrested.
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