Operation Nimrod THE IRANIAN EMBASSY SIEGE Russell Phillips Shilka Publishing !!!"shilka"#o"uk Copyright © 2015 by Russell Phillips. All rights reserved. No part of this publication ay be reproduced! distributed or trans itted in any for or by any eans! including photocopying! recording! or other electronic or echanical ethods! "ithout the prior "ritten per ission of the publisher! e#cept in the case of brief $uotations e bodied in critical revie"s and certain other nonco ercial uses per itted by copyright la". %or per ission re$uests! "rite to the publisher! addressed &Attention' Per issions Coordinator!( at the address belo". Shil*a Publishing Apt 20+, Chyno"eth -ouse .revisso e Par* .ruro .R+ /0N """.shil*a.co.u* 1oo* 2ayout ©2013 1oo*4esign.e plates.co 5rdering 6nfor ation' 7uantity sales. Special discounts are available on $uantity purchases by corporations! associations! and others. %or details! contact the &Special )ales 4epartment” at the address above. 5peration Ni rod/ Russell Phillips. 91st ed. 6)1N ,:/;0;,,2:<+/;/;3 $ontents 30th April 1,/0: 4ay 1......................................................................1 Political 1ackground....................................................................1, 1st =ay 1,/0: 4ay 2.......................................................................21 .he )A)..........................................................................................33 2nd =ay 1,/0: 4ay 3.....................................................................3, 3rd =ay 1,/0: 4ay +......................................................................+: +th =ay 1,/0: 4ay 5......................................................................5: 5th =ay 1,/0: 4ay <......................................................................<5 Aftermath......................................................................................,1 Appendix 1' Weapons and Equipment........................................,, Appendix 2: .he Wall..................................................................103 Glossary.......................................................................................107 4igital Reinforcements' %ree Eboo*.........................................109 About Russell Phillips..................................................................111 "The soldier always knows that everything he does on such an occasion will be scrutinised by two classes of critics — by the Government which employs him and by the enemies of that Government. As far as the Government is concerned, he is a little Admiral Jellicoe and this is his tiny Battle of Jutland. He has to make a vital decision on incomplete information in a matter of seconds, and afterwards the e"perts can sit down at leisure with all the facts before them, and argue about what he might, could, or should have done. Lucky the soldier if, as in Jellicoe$s case, the tactical e"perts decided after twenty years% profound consideration that what he did in three minutes was right. As for the enemies of the Government, it does not much matter what he has done. They will twist, misinterpret, falsify, or invent any fact as evidence that he is an inhuman monster wallowing in innocent blood". ―%ield =arshal )ir William )li ! 0nofficial -istory 30th April 1980: Day 1 5n the orning of >ednesday! 30th April 1980! six en left their flat in Aensington! 2ondon. .hey told the landlord that they "ere spending a "ee* in 1ristol before leaving for 6ra$! and that they "ould not be returning. .hey had ade arrange ents for their belongings to be sent on ahead of the ! they said. .he en "ere AhuBestani revolutionaries! and although theyCd spent the previous fe" "ee*s enDoying 2ondonCs bustling nightlife and buying consu er goods! that "as simply so e do"ntime before the primary ission! "hich "as about to begin. .he en collected t"o sub achine guns! four auto atic pistols! a revolver! a unition! and hand grenades. .hey carried the "eapons in light"eight holdalls as they "alked to their target! the 6ranian e bassy at 16 Princes @ate in Anightsbridge. 6t is believed the "eapons had entered the 0A in an 6ra$i diplo atic bag. .he en had received a little training in the use of the firear s fro the 6ra$i ar y! but they "ere not particularly co petent. Neither the AhuBestanis nor the 6ra$is believed that this "ould be an issue. Pitched gunfights "ith the 1ritish authorities "ere not part of the plan' 1ritish police "erenCt ar ed! after all. 2 E &peration Nimrod 5ne an! .he ir =oa ed -ussein F2ater code na ed GAbbasG by the policeH "ent on ahead to do a last reconnaissance. He "as a s$uat! heavily;built individual, "ith scars on each chee*. .he others "aited at the Albert =e orial, and "hen Abbas returned he told the that all "as "ell. He estimated that at least t"enty;five people "ere inside the target. ."enty;five people to use as hostages! their safety to be bargained for in return for the enCs de ands. .he leader! 5an Ali =oha ed Fcode na ed G)ali GH! gave the order to start the attac*! and all six en headed to"ards the e bassy. After leaving Hyde Par*! they split up. )alim! his second;in;co and )ha*ir Abdullah Radhil FG%aisal"H! and Abbas turned left out of the par*! looping around to approach their target fro the east. .he other three! )ha*ir )ultan )aid FGHassanGH! %o"Bi 1adavi NeDad FGAli"H! and =a**i Hanoun Ali FG=a**iG) approached fro the "est. As they approached the e bassy! the en "ere surprised to note that there "as no police officer on duty at the entrance. 5n each of their previous reconnaissance issions they had seen a police an! one of the =etropolitan PoliceCs 4iplo atic Protection @roup F4P@H! outside the building. .oday! there "as no police an. .his "as obviously divine intervention! signalling that their ission "as blessed. .hey pulled hoods and *affiyehs around their heads! dre" their "eapons and ade the ready. %aisal shouted G2ong live ArabistanG! and they ran into the building! )alim in the lead. PC .revor 2oc* "as the police an "ho should have been stood outside the door as the terrorists approached. 6t "asnCt his shift! but heCd agreed to cover for a colleague. 6t "as a cold day! and 2oc* had stepped inside to accept an offer of a "ar coffee at e#actly the "rong time. .o a*e atters "orse! the inner security door had been left open due to a large nu ber of visitors entering and leaving the building that orning. At 11:25! the terrorists ran in. 2oc* "as stood in the entrance hall, near the door to reception. )alim ran to"ards hi ! yelling G4onCt &peration Nimrod E 3 oveIG in %arsi and firing a burst fro his submachine gun. 2oc* "as carrying a .3/ ) ith J >esson =odel 10 revolver in a holster on his right hip! but "as unable to dra" it before he "as overco e. He did anage to use his panic button to trans it an e ergency signal, before )alim ripped the radio fro his tunic. Alerted by 2oc*Cs e ergency signal, four ar ed police en on otorbi*es "ere at the e bassy "ithin inutes! shortly follo"ed by t"o sergeants and seven constables of the 4P@. .he police en oved around the outside of the e bassy! trying to ascertain e#actly "hat had happened. 5ne! approaching the rear! sa" a terrorist at a first;floor "indo" and shouted up to as* "ho he "as and "hat he "anted. .he only ans"er "as a "arning not to co e closer! and so the police an retreated. =ean"hile! Abbas %allahi, the e bassyCs door an! and )imeon F)imH Harris! a 11C sound recordist visiting the e bassy to obtain a visa! "ere im ediately captured. .hey "ere told to stand against a "all along "ith 2oc*! "ho "as bleeding fro a cut on his chee*. Hassan and =a**i guarded these three hostages "hile the others started to investigate the rest of the building. )alim assured the that they had nothing to "orry about! that they only "anted to G a*e a fe" speechesG. >hen he pulled a hand grenade fro his poc*et and put a finger in the pull-ring! the three hostages beca e sure that he "asnCt telling the the truth. Chris Cra er! a 11C ne"s producer and HarrisC colleague! had run into another roo ! hoping to escape through a "indo"! but "as unable to open it. He "as herded out and into the hall "ith four other en. .he eight hostages "ere ta*en to the cipher roo (roo 9AH on the second floor! "here =a**i stood guard over the . .he other terrorists co bed the building! yelling! *ic*ing open doors! and rounding up the rest of the buildingCs occupants. 4r @hola ;Ali AfrouB! the ChargK dCAffaires! "as in his first; floor office! giving an intervie" to =uha ad %aru$i, a 2ondon; + E &peration Nimrod based Dournalist. As a staunch supporter of the Ayatollah! AfrouB "as a prime target for the terrorists. He "as also acutely a"are of the possibility of an attac*. Just days before! he had "ritten to Chief )uperintendent 1ro ley of the 4iplo atic Protection @roup. .he letter sought to bring to 1ro leyCs attention Gthe increasing threats our e bassy and 4iplo atic staff are being confronted "ith under the present circu stancesG1. AfrouB "anted to Gstress the seriousness of this atter and dra" [hisN special attention to any stricter precautionsG. 1ro leyCs response! "hich had arrived the previous day! offered platitudes but little substance! assuring AfrouB that Gthe varying political climate together "ith the need for any additional security precautions are constantly under revie"G2. AfrouB and %aru$i "erenCt a"are of the attac* until t"o en started shouting AfrouBCs na e fro Dust outside the door. AfrouB loc*ed the doorO and the t"o en tried to brea* it do"n but soon gave up! una"are "ho "as in the roo . >hen they oved on! AfrouB unloc*ed the door! "ent to the bac* of the building! and Du ped fro a "indo".