Operation Eagle Claw was a covert U.S. military rescue mission launched in April 1980 to free 52 American hostages held in Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis. The mission involved a complex two-night operation: on the first night, eight RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters from the USS Nimitz would fly to Desert One, refuel, and transport assault forces to Desert Two where they would hide; on the second night, CIA officers would bring trucks to Desert Two, storm the U.S. Embassy compound and Iranian Foreign Ministry simultaneously, extract hostages to Amjadieh Stadium, and transport them via helicopter to Manzariyeh Airbase (seized by Rangers), with C-141 Starlifters then flying to Egypt. The plan was designed to destroy the helicopters before departure to prevent their recovery by Iranian forces.
The Two-Night Plan: Rescuing Hostages in TehranAdded:
Eight RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters positioned aboard USS Nimitz will fly to Desert One.
Once all forces converged at Desert One, the helicopters were to refuel from the aircrafts, and from there, they would extract the assault forces from and transport them to a position named Desert Two, where the assault teams would hide. The following night, CIA officers who were already inside Iran would bring trucks they had sourced to Desert Two and embark on Tehran.
Their objectives were twofold. The rapid storming of the US Embassy compound and the simultaneous raid on the Iranian Foreign Ministry, where additional hostages were believed to be held.
Once the hostages were secured, extraction was planned through a pre-designated rally point, Amjadieh Stadium on the outskirts of Tehran.
From there, helicopters would transport both hostages and assault teams to Manzariyeh Airbase, which was to be seized in advance by Rangers.
In the concluding phase of the mission, C-141 Starlifters would fly into an airbase in Egypt.
The eight helicopters would be destroyed before departure.
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