Operation Eagle Claw: The Special Forces Disaster That Changed Everything

In April 1980, the United States launched a secret mission deep inside Iran to rescue 53 American hostages held in Tehran. Operation Eagle Claw brought together elite troops, aircraft, and months of planning, yet the rescue force never reached the hostages. The catastrophe at a remote desert landing site exposed weaknesses in how America’s special operations forces worked together and ultimately helped transform the way the United States conducts special operations.