And so began a career that in time would lead Mr. Mendez, who died on Saturday at 78, to orchestrate one of the most audacious covert operations in C.I.A. history: the rescue of six American diplomats from a tumultuous Iran after Islamic militants had stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979. The militants held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, a humiliating foreign policy debacle that would severely undermine Jimmy Carter’s presidency.
The operation, which took place in January 1980, was kept secret until 1997. It was celebrated in a heart-pounding movie, “Argo,” released in 2012, with Ben Affleck (who also directed) portraying Mr. Mendez. The movie won three Oscars, including for best picture, though some critics took it to task for underplaying the vital role of the Canadians in the operation and for inventing certain scenes, such as a chase on an airport tarmac at the end. more
