TEHRAN -- On Monday, the people of the Iranian province of Yazd commemorated the 31st anniversary of the United States’ failed attack on Iran, which was aborted in the desert near Tabas in 1980.

The commemoration ceremony was held in central Iran in the desert near Tabas.
On Monday, a number of university students from across Tehran also held a demonstration outside the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, which was called the Den of Spies, to commemorate the Tabas incident.
On April 25, 1980, the United States launched Operation Eagle Claw in an attempt to free members of the U.S. Embassy staff held in Tehran after the Islamic Revolution of Iran of 1979.
The attempt to free the U.S. Embassy staff members began when six Hercules C130 transport planes set off to rendezvous with a group of nine helicopters at the Tabas desert airstrip.
But a sandstorm struck and the mission ran into trouble almost as soon as it had started.
Two helicopters went down with engine trouble, and a third was diverted to help.
Then another helicopter was damaged as it landed on the airstrip, leaving only five workable helicopters. The mission had become impossible.
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter gave the order to abort the operation. Then the farce became a tragedy.
As the aircraft took off again, another helicopter crashed into one of the C130 aircraft and burst into flames. Eight U.S. soldiers died, and another four men suffered burns