Research book released on anniversary of failed US mission in Iran’s Tabas desert

On the 46th anniversary of the failed US mission in Iran’s Tabas desert, a new research work drawing on previously classified American documents has been released.

News ID: ۳۸۶۴۰۳

جمعه - ۲۵ تير ۲۰۲۶ / 2026 25 April

The book “Defeat of the Eagle’s Claws” examines Operation Eagle Claw using US National Archives security files, offering a detailed account of the mission and the reasons behind its failure.

Written by Mohammad‑Javad Akhavan and published by Bineshmand Publishing, the book reconstructs the 1980 rescue attempt from the American perspective.

Akhavan bases his analysis on thousands of declassified documents from the National Security Archive, the State Department, and the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, providing a rare inside view of one of the most controversial military failures in modern American history.

Across eleven chapters, the author traces the operation from early White House crisis meetings and intelligence gathering to Delta Force training sessions, operational planning, the disastrous execution in the Tabas desert, and subsequent investigations, including the Holloway Report. The book also covers the abortive second rescue plan known as “Snowbird.”

One of its key strengths is the extensive appendix section, featuring original operational maps, mission photographs retrieved from US helicopters in Tabas, and the classified mission timetable.

The author argues that the operation’s failure stemmed not only from weather conditions but also from planning flaws, logistical limitations, and strategic miscalculations.

The book serves as both a historical narrative and an analytical resource for scholars of contemporary history and national security.