The Iranian Embassy Siege: A Veteran’s Voice

Join SAS veteran Ian ‘Chalky’ White as he recounts his role in the dramatic rescue mission that brought the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege to an end.

At 11.30am on 30 April 1980, six armed men stormed the Iranian Embassy on Princes Gate in South Kensington, taking 26 people hostage. What followed was a tense six-day standoff that would become one of the most famous counter-terrorism incidents in British history.

On the evening of 5 May, the SAS launched Operation Nimrod, storming the Embassy and bringing the siege to an end. The operation unfolded in front of television cameras, with dramatic footage broadcast live to millions of viewers.

Ian ‘Chalky’ White was a member of the SAS squadron that entered the building that evening. In this special event, he will share his first-hand account of the siege, the rescue mission and his experience at the centre of an operation that made history.

Guests will also have the opportunity to see a replica of the Iranian Embassy created by Veterans Voices UK.

About the speaker

Ian ‘Chalky’ White is a former warrant officer and 25-year Army veteran from B Squadron, 22 Special Air Service (SAS). He is best known as one of the elite commandos who took part in Operation Nimrod, the daring 1980 Iranian Embassy siege rescue mission in South Kensington, London.