The CIA podcast The Langley Files revealed that Agency linguist Ed Johnson was the mystery officer who helped Tony Mendez rescue six American diplomats trapped in Iran.
The CIA sent two top intelligence officers to Iran on a mission to exfiltrate six stranded American diplomats in 1980 - an operation so daring it formed the basis of the Hollywood movie Argo (2012). CIA disguise expert Tony Mendez became a celebrity in his own right after Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning movie, but the second CIA spy remained in the shadows for more than 40 years.
On September 14, 2023, the CIA’s podcast named 80-year-old Ed Johnson as the Agency linguist who accompanied Mendez to Tehran. The mission was informally known as the ‘Canadian caper’ as the hostages hid in the Canadian Ambassador’s residence after the US Embassy was stormed by students and militants in late 1979. Two months later, the six US diplomats secretly fled Iran disguised as a movie crew traveling on Canadian passports. Johnson and Mendez were at their side.
Johnson, fluent in five languages, escorted the diplomats as they walked through Iranian customs at the airport in Tehran. The Americans were smuggled out using genuine Canadian passports with forged travel visas suggesting they’d only been in Iran for a few days scouting movie locations for an upcoming sci-fi film.
Unlike Mendez, Johnson shunned the limelight for decades. His name was revealed in an episode of the intelligence agency's podcast, The Langley Files, finally resolving the longstanding mystery.
“The second officer was Ed Johnson, a fellow CIA exfiltration specialist - someone with years of experience in quietly getting people out of dangerous places,” the CIA podcast hosts told listeners.
The CIA & the ‘Tehran Six’
In the Hollywood version of events, Affleck played Mendez as the only CIA officer organizing the rescue but two of the hostages told the True Spies podcast that the ‘Tehran Six’ were in hiding for more than two months when ‘two men in trench coats’ arrived. They introduce themselves as Kevin Harkins and Julio. 'Kevin' was in reality Tony Mendez, an expert in forgery, disguises, and exfiltration. Ed 'Julio' Johnson was their English-Farsi translator.
Johnson reportedly had medical issues that prevented him from joining the CIA podcast live. He earlier recorded an interview with the CIA however, in which he revealed that he and Mendez were initially lost on arrival in Tehran and ended up at the Swedish Embassy. It was across the street from the US Embassy where militants were still holding 52 American hostages. Iranian demonstrators were gathered outside.
One language Johnson did not speak - at least, not aloud - was Persian, Iran’s main language, because the CIA did not want to reveal to Iran which of its officers was proficient in Persian. He did, however, speak French, German, Spanish, and Arabic, and Johnson was using all of his language skills hoping to get directions to the Canadian Embassy from a Swiss guard.
That's when one of the Iranian demonstrators - dressed as a revolutionary with a full beard - walked over to the Swiss Embassy to find out what's going on. Luckily, the Iranian militant spoke German so Johnson engaged him in a conversation. Before long, the militant happily directed the American spies to the Canadian Embassy, Johnson recalled: "'Oh, you want to go to the Embassy of Canada?' He writes an address out on a piece of paper and then calls a cab over. And he hands the papers to the cabbie."
Ed Johnson and Tony Mendez even tried to tip him for his help, but he refused.
"I have to thank the Iranians for being the beacon who got us to the right place…" Johnson added.
