New Book Chronicles the Dramatic SAS Rescue During the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege

Ben Macintyre's 'The Siege' provides an in-depth look at the six-day standoff and its lasting impact on British special forces and national security policies.

• Ben Macintyre’s book offers a definitive account of the 1980 Iranian embassy siege in London, which lasted six days and ended with an SAS rescue operation.
• The siege began when six armed terrorists took 26 hostages to promote self-government for Iran's Khuzestan province.
• The SAS stormed the embassy after one hostage was executed, completing the operation in just 11 minutes and killing five of the terrorists.
• The incident brought the SAS into the public eye and marked a shift in British national security, leading to greater transparency and oversight of intelligence agencies.
• The siege had significant geopolitical repercussions, including intensified repression of Iran's Arab minority and contributing to the start of the Iran-Iraq War

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