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| From Tehran to Hollywood: My Unforgettable Encounter with CIA Legend Tony Mendez |
Seventeen years ago, in a quiet suburb of
Cleveland, Ohio, I met Antonio J. Mendez—"Tony" to those who knew
him. I remember that day as if it happened yesterday. It’s not every day you
get to sit down with a CIA legend, someone whose courage changed the course of
history. Meeting him left a lasting impression on me and inspired me to keep
writing my spy thriller series, Corey Pearson - CIA Spymaster. Years
later, when the movie ARGO came out, I was one of the first in line to
see Ben Affleck portray this remarkable man. But Tony Mendez wasn’t just a
Hollywood story. He was the real deal—a master of disguise, a creative genius,
and a true American hero.
It was May 20, 2006. A small group of us
from the Cleveland branch of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers
(AFIO) gathered in Beachwood for a luncheon. That’s when Tony walked in, calm
and composed, his presence quietly commanding. Over the next couple of hours,
he unraveled the story behind the 1980 CIA-Canadian joint operation that
inspired ARGO. He spoke of exfiltrating six fugitive American diplomats
out of revolutionary Iran, a mission so daring it bordered on the unbelievable.
But it wasn’t fiction. It was Tony’s life.
Tony didn’t hold back. He shared details of the operation that Hollywood missed or chose to dramatize, though the truth was just as compelling. For instance, I learned about H. Ross Perot’s unexpected involvement in the early days of the Iranian Revolution. The billionaire Texan—famous for his no-nonsense attitude—had orchestrated a secret land route to rescue two of his employees imprisoned in Iran. At one point, Perot even called the CIA to offer his help during the hostage crisis. “What’s the holdup?” Perot reportedly asked in his signature blunt style. “If it’s red tape, I’ll put up the money. You can pay me back later.”
The Canadians played a crucial role too.
Their embassy hid the six American diplomats for months until Tony’s team could
exfiltrate them. Operatives from the Canadian Secret Intelligence Service
(CSIS) worked side-by-side with the CIA, taking enormous risks. If any of them
had been caught, the Revolutionary Guards wouldn’t have hesitated—they would’ve
been executed on the spot. Tony emphasized the painstaking preparation behind
the mission. He made dozens of trips to Canada, worked closely with the CSIS,
and even coordinated with Hollywood to set up a functioning studio in case
Iranian spies ever came sniffing around in Los Angeles. It was deception at its
finest—a house of cards held together by ingenuity and nerves of steel.
As Tony spoke, I scribbled notes
furiously, not wanting to miss a single detail. He was candid about the
liberties Hollywood took with the story in ARGO. “The movie got a lot
right,” he admitted. “But not everything.” For starters, he wasn’t the lone CIA
officer orchestrating the operation. There were two officers with him—both
experts in forgery and exfiltration. And those tense scenes of the six diplomats
walking through the market, scouting a location for their fake movie? That
never happened. They spent all 79 days hiding inside the homes of Canadian
embassy staff.
Then there was the airline ticket drama
depicted in the film, with guards calling “Studio Six” to verify the Americans’
identities. It was riveting on screen, but Tony clarified that no such thing
occurred. The Canadians had purchased the tickets well in advance, and
everything went off without a hitch. CIA officers had even scheduled an
early-morning flight to avoid sleepy airline staff and Revolutionary Guards.
The guards weren’t even awake yet when the Americans left the country. That
said, the Iranians did work tirelessly to reconstruct shredded documents
to identify the hostages. It was a race against time, and if Tony or any of his
team had been caught, the consequences would’ve been brutal. “If they had
caught me,” he said simply, “I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you.”
After his talk, I had the chance to speak
with Tony one-on-one. I told him about my spy thriller series and how I was
struggling to keep going. He looked at me with an intensity I’ll never forget
and said, “Make it fun. Enjoy the shadow wars.” He signed a copy of his book
for me that day, leaving me with a personal message that still motivates me
every time I write. It wasn’t just his story that inspired me—it was his belief
in the power of storytelling to capture the human side of espionage.
Tony Mendez passed away in 2019 after a
battle with Parkinson’s disease. But his legacy lives on, not just in the movie
ARGO or the halls of the CIA but in the hearts of those who had the
privilege of hearing his story firsthand. He was more than a spy—he was a
creative genius, a risk-taker, and a man who quietly changed the world. For me,
Tony Mendez will always be a reminder that the greatest stories—the ones worth
telling—are those where courage meets ingenuity. And every time I sit down to
write another adventure for Corey Pearson, I hear his voice reminding me:
“Enjoy the shadow wars.”
Robert Morton, a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), is an accomplished author of the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster Short Story series. Drawing from real-life intelligence operations, he crafts gripping tales that pull readers into the high-stakes world of espionage. Each story offers a thrilling escape—and can be enjoyed in just 20-30 minutes. Perfect for anyone craving fast-paced spycraft!
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