Forty-five years ago today, on May 5, 1980 (March 21, 1980), the British stormed into the Iranian Embassy and rescued 19 hostages. Some Secret Service members rushed in from the balcony of the front of the building. On May 5, 1980, British commandos and police broke into the Iranian Embassy to rescue the hostages held there five and a half days earlier. The silence of London was disturbed by the sound of explosions and gunfire in the war zone. Here's what happened: A group of gunmen claiming to be members of Iran's Arab minority stormed the embassy, detained 31 Metropolitan Police Criminal Division officers, and took Iranian diplomats and staff hostage. Among them were at least three Britons, an embassy clerk, a BBC technician who had been applying for a passport visa, and the police officer. The embassy building was immediately surrounded by British police. The gunmen identified themselves to the police and made a series of demands, including the release of 91 political prisoners held by the Iranians. In the days that followed, the Arabs released five hostages. The surprise move to rescue the hostages was prompted by the gunmen's sudden announcement that they would begin executing the detainees if their demands were not met. To reinforce the threat, two hostages were killed. Under the circumstances, British police stormed the embassy with fire and explosions. Three of the five gunmen were killed in the attack, while the remaining hostages were saved. The interior of the building has been damaged by the flames from the explosion