Iranian Embassy siege facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iranian Embassy siege
Part of Arab separatism in Khuzestan
The Iranian Embassy, severely damaged by fire following the end of the siege
Date 30 April – 5 May 1980 Location 16 Princes Gate, South Kensington, London 51°30′5.5″N 0°10′19.9″W / 51.501528°N 0.172194°W / 51.501528; -0.172194 Result Embassy recaptured after six-day siege
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRFLA)
Commanders and leaders
Peter de la Billière Michael Rose	Oan Ali Mohammed  †
Strength
30–35 SAS soldiers, large numbers of Metropolitan Police officers	6 DRFLA members
Casualties and losses
Two hostages killed (one prior to assault, one during); two hostages wounded during the assault; one SAS soldier wounded	Five killed, one captured

The Iranian Embassy siege was a dramatic event that happened in London from April 30 to May 5, 1980. A group of six armed men took over the Iranian embassy in South Kensington. They held 26 people hostage, including embassy workers, visitors, and a police officer.

The gunmen were Iranian Arabs who wanted their home region, Khuzestan Province, to become an independent Arab state. They demanded that prisoners in Khuzestan be released and that they be given a safe way to leave the United Kingdom.

The British government quickly decided not to let the gunmen leave safely. This led to a tense standoff. Police negotiators managed to get five hostages released by agreeing to small things, like broadcasting the hostage-takers' demands on British television.

By the sixth day, the gunmen were getting very frustrated. That evening, they killed one of the hostages. This led the Special Air Service (SAS), a special British Army unit, to launch a rescue mission called "Operation Nimrod."

The SAS soldiers rappelled from the roof and broke through the windows. In just 17 minutes, they rescued almost all the remaining hostages. They also killed five of the six hostage-takers. An investigation later found that the SAS acted correctly. The only surviving gunman spent 27 years in British prisons.

This operation made the SAS famous for the first time. It also made Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's government look strong. The embassy building was badly damaged by fire and didn't reopen until 1993. The SAS raid was shown live on TV and became a memorable moment in British history.

Why It Happened

The people who took the hostages were part of a group called the Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRFLA). They were Iranian Arabs who wanted to create their own Arab state in the southern part of Iran, called Khūzestān. This area is rich in oil and is home to many Arabic-speaking people.

The leader, Oan Ali Mohammed, said he wanted to attack the embassy because the Arab independence movement was being stopped. He was inspired by a similar event in Iran where American embassy staff were held hostage.

The Hostage Takers Arrive

Oan and three other DRFLA members came to London on March 31, 1980, using Iraqi passports. They rented a flat in Earl's Court. More men joined them over the next few days.

Oan was 27 years old and from Khūzestān. He had been to the University of Tehran and was involved in politics. He claimed he had been tortured by the Shah's secret police. The other members of his group were Shakir Abdullah Radhil (Faisal), Shakir Sultan Said (Hassan), Themir Moammed Hussein (Abbas), Fowzi Badavi Nejad (Ali), and Makki Hanoun Ali (Makki).

On April 30, the men left their flat and picked up weapons, including pistols, submachine guns, and hand grenades. These weapons are thought to have been smuggled into the UK in a special bag from Iraq. Shortly before 11:30 AM, the six men arrived at the Iranian Embassy.

A study in 2014 suggested that the Iraqi government helped train and equip these attackers. This was part of a plan to cause trouble for Iran.

Who Are the SAS?

The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special unit of the British Army. It was first formed during World War II to fight in unusual ways. After a terrible hostage crisis at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where many people died, European governments decided to create special police and military anti-terrorist units.

Following examples from Germany and France, the British government formed the Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) Wing of the SAS. This unit became the UK's main group for dealing with terrorism and hijackings. The SAS was chosen because it had experience in fighting difficult situations abroad and training important people's bodyguards.

The Siege Begins: Day 1

Around 11:30 AM on Wednesday, April 30, the six armed men stormed the Iranian Embassy. They quickly overpowered Police Constable Trevor Lock, who was guarding the embassy. Officer Lock had a hidden revolver but couldn't use it. He did manage to press a "panic button" on his radio.

Officer Lock kept his weapon hidden throughout the siege. He refused to take off his coat, saying it was to "preserve his image" as a police officer. He also refused food, worried that his weapon would be seen if he needed to use the toilet.

Three people managed to escape the embassy by climbing out windows. A fourth person, Gholam-Ali Afrouz, the most senior Iranian official there, also tried to escape but was injured and quickly caught. Afrouz and the other 25 hostages were taken to a room on the second floor. Most were embassy staff, but some were British employees and visitors.

Police arrived almost immediately after the first reports of gunfire. They surrounded the embassy but had to pull back when a gunman threatened to shoot. Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Dellow took charge of the police operation. Police negotiators, led by Max Vernon, contacted the gunmen using a special phone.

At 3:15 PM, Oan, the leader, made his first demand. He wanted 91 Arabs held in prisons in Khūzestān to be released. He threatened to blow up the embassy and the hostages if this wasn't done by noon on May 1.

Many journalists and Iranian protesters gathered near the embassy. The British government's emergency committee, COBRA, was quickly brought together. William Whitelaw, the Home Secretary, led the meeting. The Iranian government accused Britain and America of planning the attack.

At 4:30 PM, the gunmen released their first hostage, Frieda Mozaffarian. She had been unwell. The other hostages tricked Oan into thinking she was pregnant, and he released her when her condition worsened.

Day 2: Waiting Game

COBRA meetings continued through the night. Two SAS teams from Hereford arrived at a holding area in Regent's Park Barracks. They had special gear like tear gas, stun grenades, explosives, and powerful weapons. Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Rose, the SAS commander, met with police chief Dellow.

Early on May 1, the gunmen ordered a hostage to call the BBC. Oan spoke directly to a journalist, identifying his group. He said non-Iranian hostages would not be harmed. The police later cut the embassy's phone lines, leaving only the special phone for contact.

Chris Cramer, a BBC sound organizer, pretended to be very ill. He and other non-Arab hostages decided one of them had to get out. After long talks, Cramer was released at 11:15 AM. He was taken to a hospital, where police gathered information from him.

As the noon deadline for releasing prisoners approached, police thought the gunmen couldn't really blow up the embassy. They convinced Oan to set a new deadline for 2:00 PM. The police let this deadline pass without action. Oan then changed his demands. He wanted British media to broadcast his group's complaints and for ambassadors from three Arab countries to help them leave the UK safely.

Around 8:00 PM, Oan became worried by noises from the Ethiopian Embassy next door. This was actually technicians drilling to put in listening devices. Officer Lock said it was just mice. COBRA decided to make loud noises to cover the drilling. They had British Gas drill in a nearby road, pretending to fix a gas pipe. This made the gunmen angry, so instead, planes were told to fly low over the embassy.

Day 3: Demands and Delays

At 9:30 AM on May 2, Oan demanded access to the embassy's telex system, which police had also disabled. He threatened to kill Abdul Fazi Ezzati, the cultural attaché. Police refused. Oan then demanded to speak to someone from the BBC who knew Chris Cramer.

The police were happy to agree to this. They brought Tony Crabb, a BBC news director and Cramer's boss. Oan shouted his demands to Crabb from a window: safe passage out of the UK, negotiated by three Arab ambassadors, and his group's aims broadcast by the BBC. The BBC did broadcast a statement that evening, but Oan was not happy with it.

Meanwhile, police found the embassy caretaker. He told them the front door was reinforced with steel and the ground and first-floor windows had armored glass. This meant plans to break in through the front door or ground-floor windows had to be changed.

Day 4: Tensions Rise

Oan was angry about the BBC's broadcast. Early on May 3, he accused the authorities of tricking him. He demanded to speak with an Arab ambassador. The negotiator said talks were still being arranged. Oan then said British hostages would be the last to be released. He also demanded Tony Crabb return to the embassy.

Crabb arrived nearly ten hours later. Oan then gave another statement to Crabb through Mustapha Karkouti, a journalist hostage. Police promised the statement would be broadcast in exchange for two hostages. The hostages chose Hiyech Kanji, who was pregnant, and Ali-Guil Ghanzafar, who snored loudly.

Later that night, around 11:00 PM, an SAS team checked the embassy roof. They found a skylight and opened it for a possible entry point. They also attached ropes to chimneys for soldiers to rappel down to the windows.

Day 5: Planning the Rescue

On May 4, the Foreign Office continued talks with diplomats from Arab countries. They hoped to convince them to speak to the hostage-takers. The diplomats wanted to offer safe passage for the gunmen, but the British government refused this.

Karkouti, the journalist hostage, became very ill. There were rumors that the police had put something in the food sent to the embassy. Police chief John Dellow had thought about it but decided it wasn't practical.

The SAS officers, including Brigadier Peter de la Billière and Lieutenant-Colonel Rose, spent the day making their assault plans perfect.

Day 6: The Final Hours

Oan woke Officer Lock at dawn, thinking someone was in the embassy. Lock checked but found no one. Later, Oan asked Lock to look at a bulge in the wall between the Iranian and Ethiopian embassies. This bulge was caused by SAS teams removing bricks to put in listening devices and prepare for entry.

Even though Lock tried to reassure him, Oan was convinced the police were "up to something." He moved the male hostages to another room. Tensions grew. At 1:00 PM, Oan told police he would kill a hostage in 45 minutes if he didn't speak to an Arab ambassador.

At 1:40 PM, Lock told the negotiator that the gunmen had taken Abbas Lavasani, the embassy's press officer, downstairs to kill him. Lavasani had often argued with his captors. Lock said Lavasani even wanted to be the one killed if they were going to kill a hostage. At exactly 1:45 PM, three shots were heard from inside the embassy.

William Whitelaw, the Home Secretary, was quickly brought back to London. He was told that up to 40% of the hostages might die in an assault. After thinking it over, Whitelaw told the SAS to get ready to storm the building. By 5:00 PM, the SAS was ready to go in with ten minutes' notice.

At 6:20 PM, police asked an imam (a Muslim religious leader) to talk to the gunmen. During this call, three more shots were fired. Oan announced that a hostage had been killed and the rest would die in 30 minutes if his demands weren't met. A few minutes later, Lavasani's body was thrown out the front door. Police thought two hostages had been killed, but it was only Lavasani.

After Lavasani's body was recovered, Sir David McNee, the head of the Metropolitan Police, asked for permission to give control of the operation to the British Army. Prime Minister Thatcher agreed immediately. So, at 7:07 PM, police chief John Dellow officially handed control to Lieutenant-Colonel Rose, allowing him to order the assault.

Meanwhile, police negotiators tried to stall Oan, offering things to distract him and buy time for the SAS to get ready.

The SAS Storms In

The two SAS teams, Red Team and Blue Team, began their attack, called Operation Nimrod, at 7:23 PM. One group of four soldiers rappelled down the back of the building from the roof. Another team lowered a stun grenade through a skylight.

Their descent didn't go perfectly. One soldier got tangled in his rope, and another accidentally broke a window. The noise alerted Oan, who was on the first floor. The soldiers couldn't use explosives because of their trapped comrade, but they managed to break into the embassy.

Sim Harris making his escape across the first-floor balcony, as ordered by the masked SAS trooper (John T. McAleese) (far right)

After the first soldiers entered, a fire started and spread up the curtains. The trapped soldier was severely burned but was cut free and fell to the balcony before entering the embassy. Slightly behind them, Blue Team blew open a first-floor window. Much of this was seen live on TV by millions. Sim Harris's escape across a balcony was famously filmed.

As soldiers reached the first floor, Officer Lock tackled Oan to stop him from attacking the SAS. Oan, still armed, was shot and killed by a soldier. Other teams entered through the back and cleared the ground floor and basement.

During the raid, the gunmen holding the male hostages opened fire, killing Ali Akbar Samadzadeh and wounding two others. The SAS began leading hostages down the stairs. Two terrorists were hiding among the hostages. One pulled out a hand grenade when identified. An SAS soldier pushed him down the stairs, where two other soldiers shot him dead.

The entire raid lasted only seventeen minutes and involved 30 to 35 soldiers. The terrorists killed one hostage and seriously wounded two others during the raid. The SAS killed five of the six terrorists. The rescued hostages and the remaining terrorist were taken to the embassy garden and identified. Sim Harris helped identify the last terrorist, who was then arrested.

Who Was Held Hostage?

The Attackers

What Happened Next?

The ribbon of the George Medal, which was awarded to PC Trevor Lock

After the siege, PC Trevor Lock was seen as a hero. He received the George Medal, a very high civilian honor in the UK. He was praised for his calm behavior and for tackling Oan during the SAS raid.

An SAS soldier, Warrant Officer Class 1 Tommy Goodyear, also received an award for his bravery during the assault. Another soldier was badly burned but recovered fully.

The Iranian government was happy the siege ended. They thanked the British government for the police's actions.

Police investigated the siege and the deaths of the hostages and terrorists. They also looked into the SAS's actions. There was some debate about two terrorists killed in the telex room. Hostages said they had tried to surrender. However, the SAS soldiers who shot them said they believed the men were reaching for weapons. The investigation concluded that the soldiers' actions were lawful.

Fowzi Badavi Nejad was the only gunman who survived the SAS attack. He was identified and arrested. He was later found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. He became eligible for release in 2005.

Normally, he would have been sent back to his home country. However, British law, based on human rights, stops deportation if someone might be tortured or executed in their home country. Nejad was released from prison in 2008 and allowed to stay in the UK. He now lives in south London under a new identity.

Long-Term Effects

The SAS raid, called "Operation Nimrod," was shown live on TV and watched by millions. It became a very important moment in British history. News channels interrupted their regular shows to broadcast the end of the siege. This helped the careers of several journalists.

The success of the operation made people in Britain feel very proud. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher received many congratulations from people and other world leaders. However, the event made relations between the UK and Iran even more difficult. The Iranian government claimed the siege was planned by the British and American governments.

Operation Nimrod brought the SAS back into the public eye. Before this, the unit was not well-known because its missions were secret. The SAS was not happy about being famous, but the operation showed how important they were. Many people wanted to join the SAS after seeing the raid. The SAS also received many requests from other countries to train their forces.

The British government's strong response to the crisis helped make Margaret Thatcher's government look powerful. The police chief, Sir David McNee, said the siege showed that the UK would not give in to terrorist demands.

The embassy building was badly damaged by fire. It took over ten years for the British and Iranian governments to agree on repairs. The UK repaired the London embassy, and Iran paid for repairs to the British embassy in Tehran. Iranian diplomats returned to 16 Princes Gate in December 1993.

The DRFLA group became less important after it was revealed that Iraq had helped train and arm the hostage-takers. The Iran–Iraq War started five months after the siege, and the fight for Khūzestān's independence was largely forgotten.

The Siege in Pop Culture

The dramatic end of the siege inspired many fictional stories about the SAS. These included novels, TV shows, and films. The 1982 film Who Dares Wins and the 2017 film 6 Days are examples.

The siege is also featured in video games like The Regiment (2006) and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (2015). In Rainbow Six Siege, a playable character is said to have been part of the siege. The SAS also appears in the book Rainbow Six, which the game series is based on. The TV show Ultimate Force (2002–2008) also mentioned the siege many times. The siege even inspired a version of Palitoy's Action Man toy, dressed like the SAS soldiers.

See Also

• List of terrorist incidents in London
• List of hostage crises
• History of the Special Air Service
• Attack on the Iranian Embassy in London (2018)

Images for kids

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  The front of 14 Prince's Gate, head office of the Royal College of General Practitioners, which was used as a base by the SAS during the siege.