IRANIAN EMBASSY SIEGE Meaning and
Definition
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The Iranian Embassy siege refers to a significant event that occurred in 1980 in London, England, which involved the take-over and subsequent hostage situation at the Iranian Embassy. The term specifically refers to the incident where a group of armed Iranian separatists and terrorists, known as the Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRFLA), took control of the Iranian Embassy, located in Kensington, London.
During the siege, the DRFLA demanded the release of Arab prisoners held in Iran and the independence of the Iranian province, Arabistan (also known as Khuzestan). The standoff lasted for six days, from April 30th to May 5th, 1980, until the British Special Air Service (SAS) conducted a dramatic counterterrorism operation, known as Operation Nimrod, to rescue the hostages.
This event received significant international attention and media coverage, as it unfolded live on television. The Iranian Embassy siege became an emblematic symbol of terrorism and hostage-taking during the late 20th century.
The successful SAS operation restored control of the embassy to British authorities and resulted in the deaths of five of the six terrorists. Only one hostage, a British citizen named Abbas Lavasani, lost his life during the operation. The Iranian Embassy siege had a lasting impact on counterterrorism strategies and influenced subsequent operations and policies in dealing with hostage situations worldwide.
