Today in History - November 4: CIA turns to Hollywood to pull off audacious rescue
On Nov. 4, 1979, Iranian students overran guards to take over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, starting a 444-day hostage crisis that transfixed America. Getty
On November 4, 1979, Iranian students overran guards to take over the US embassy in Tehran, starting a 444-day hostage crisis.
The students, with the support of the new hardline regime ruling Iran, seized 66 American diplomats in a move that stunned the world and left the US government powerless.
But unknown to the hostage takers, six US diplomatic officers had fled through the embassy's back door as the revolutionary students smashed their way in.
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Revolutionary Iranian students storming the US embassy in November 1979. Getty
Some of the US embassy staff paraded by Iranian students during a 444-day hostage crisis that transfixed America. Getty
They found refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador in Tehran, but they were at risk of being discovered, either by Iranian authorities or the international media.
The then US president Jimmy Carter and his advisers realised they had to get them out of the chaotic country, and turned to the CIA.
The spy agency put Tony Mendez, an officer specialised in freeing people from hostile environments, known as exfiltration, on the case.
He considered all options; upmost in his mind was that few of the six Americans could speak the Iranian language.
Mendez then concocted an improbable scheme about a fake movie.
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The six US diplomats rescued from Iran by brave CIA agents. (Photo: US State Department) Supplied
Posing as a Hollywood producer, he planned to fly to Iran and connect with the six under the guise of scouting locations in Tehran.
Following months of preparations, Mendez has his escape plan in place.
It involved the Canadian government agreeing to issue the six US diplomats fake Canadian passports.
The CIA also spent thousands of dollars setting up a phoney film production company in Los Angeles. The cover story was that it wanted to film an futuristic movie, called Argo, with locations including a bazaar.
Mendez later told the BBC, his operation was a "hairy" mission, with no plan B if things went wrong.
Americans show their thanks to Canada for helping rescue the six trapped diplomats. (Photo: US State Department) Supplied
In January 1980 as the hostage crisis dragged on, Mendez and a fellow agent flew to Tehran and made contact with the hiding diplomats.
Sticking to the cover story as a member of the film production company, he made contact with Iranian officials and toured Tehran apparently looking for movie locations.
Then in late January 1980, Mendez accompanied the diplomats, holding their Canadian passports, arrived at Tehran airport booked on an early morning flight.
Mendez hoped that by arriving at dawn, the group would raise little attention to the tired immigration officers, and it paid off.
The Swissair plane took off, and on arrival at Zurich airport, the six Americans were whisked away by US officials.
Mendez was personally thanked by Carter at the White House, but the operation remained a closely guarded secret for 17 years.
In 2012, an Oscar-winning film about the audacious rescue, Argo, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, was released.
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