ABNA24 - On the 46th anniversary of the United States’ failed mission in the Tabas Desert, a new research work has been published based on recently declassified American documents.The book, titled “Failure of the Eagle’s Claws,” analyzes Operation Eagle Claw—the botched 1980 U.S. military mission in the Iranian desert—drawing extensively on formerly classified U.S. National Archive materials to shed light on the reasons behind Washington’s defeat.
Authored by Dr. Mohammad‑Javad Akhavan, the book offers a comprehensive portrayal of the event from the American perspective, making use of confidential records from the U.S. National Archives, the Department of State, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Published by Binishmand Publication, this work presents for the first time an uncensored glimpse into one of the most controversial military failures in White House history, utilizing “Secret” and “Top Secret” materials that had been declassified only recently.
Among numerous oral and analytical accounts of the May 1980 Tabas incident, this book stands out for its unique vantage point: reading the story through the enemy’s eyes. The author meticulously dissects the planning and execution of Operation Eagle Claw by examining thousands of declassified pages.
Structured in 11 chapters, the book covers eleven chapters among them: After the Embassy Takeover, Reconnaissance and Intelligence Gathering, Initial Training and Execution of the Operation as well as Aftermath of the Failure.
One of the book’s scholarly strengths lies in its appendices, which contain facsimiles of the original classified documents and photographs.
In the preface, Akhavan refers to the famous Tabas sandstorm that doomed the mission, noting:
“Failure of the Eagle’s Claws is not merely a historical account; it is a narrative retelling of a complex intelligence‑military operation — both engaging and instructive for those interested in contemporary history, international relations, and national security studies.”
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On the 46th anniversary of the United States’ failed mission in the Tabas Desert, a new research work has been published based on recently declassified American documents.The book, titled “Failure of the Eagle’s Claws,” analyzes Operation Eagle Claw—the botched 1980 U.S. military mission in the Iranian desert—drawing extensively on formerly classified U.S. National Archive materials to shed light on the reasons behind Washington’s defeat.
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