<Li> 2005--06 Ahvaz bombings </Li> <Li> Day of Rage (2011) </Li> <P> The Iranian Embassy siege took place from 30 April to 5 May 1980, after a group of six armed men stormed the Iranian embassy in South Kensington, London . The gunmen, members of an Iranian Arab group campaigning for Arab national sovereignty in the southern Iranian region of Khuzestan Province, took 26 people hostage--mostly embassy staff, but also several visitors as well as a police officer who had been guarding the embassy . They demanded the release of Arab prisoners from prisons in Khuzestan and their own safe passage out of the United Kingdom . Margaret Thatcher's government quickly resolved that safe passage would not be granted, and a siege ensued . Over the following days, police negotiators secured the release of five hostages in exchange for minor concessions, such as the broadcasting of the hostage - takers' demands on British television . </P> <P> By the sixth day of the siege the gunmen had become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress in meeting their demands . That evening, they killed one of the hostages and threw his body out of the embassy . As a result, the government ordered the Special Air Service (SAS), a special forces regiment of the British Army, to conduct an assault--Operation Nimrod--to rescue the remaining hostages . Shortly afterwards, SAS soldiers abseiled from the roof of the building and forced entry through the windows . During the 17 - minute raid, they rescued all but one of the remaining hostages, and killed five of the six hostage - takers . The soldiers later faced accusations of unnecessarily killing two of the five, but an inquest into the deaths eventually cleared the SAS of any wrongdoing . The sole remaining gunman was prosecuted and served 27 years in British prisons . </P>

April 1980 armed gunmen stormed the iranian embassy in princes gate