The History of the SAS

In May 5th, 1980, soldiers from the Special Air Service (SAS) stormed the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate, London. In an operation that took less than twenty minutes, they killed five members of the Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRFLA) - shooting one more than eighty times - and rescued twenty-four hostages (the DRFLA had already killed one, and shot dead another during the rescue). This took place in full view of the public and was shown live on television, famously interrupting the snooker. Later that day, prime minister Margaret Thatcher went to congratulate the SAS men involved and sat among them watching a re-run of the attack.