The Canadian Caper: Hiding Americans in Tehran

The Canadian Caper: A Daring Rescue

During the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, Canadian diplomats put their lives on the line to help six American diplomats escape from Tehran.

When Iranian revolutionaries stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, they took 52 Americans hostage. However, six American diplomats managed to avoid capture and found refuge with Canadian diplomat John Sheardown and his wife Zena, and later with Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor.

For nearly three months, Canadian diplomats housed these Americans, at great personal risk. If discovered, they would have faced severe consequences from the revolutionary government.

Ambassador Ken Taylor and his team then worked with the CIA to create an elaborate rescue plan. They acquired Canadian passports for the Americans and created a cover story that they were a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a science fiction film called "Argo."

On January 27, 1980, all six Americans successfully departed from Tehran's Mehrabad Airport using Canadian passports, effectively ending the "Canadian Caper."

This act of courage and friendship between Canadians and Americans was immortalized in the 2012 film "Argo," though many Canadians felt the movie downplayed Canada's crucial role in the rescue.

The Canadian Caper stands as a powerful symbol of Canadian-American friendship and cooperation during a time of international crisis.