In pictures: Iranian embassy siege in London

Getty Images A hostage scrambles to safetyGetty Images
On 30 April 1980 six gunmen took over the Iranian embassy in Kensington. The siege ended when the SAS stormed the building.
Presentational white space
Brendan Monks/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images Pc Trevor LockBrendan Monks/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
One of the 26 hostages was PC Trevor Lock, of the diplomatic protection squad, who was standing guard outside the embassy. He can be seen here talking with police negotiators from an upstairs window.
Presentational white space
PA Media A negotiator walks away from the embassyPA Media
Negotiations continued as the gunmen demanded the release of 91 political prisoners who were jailed in Iran and a plane to fly themselves and the hostages out of the UK. Here, a negotiator can be seen walking away from the embassy.
Presentational white space
N. Beattie/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty I Police outside the embassyN. Beattie/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty I
The gunmen did release a number of hostages in the first few days of the siege. Here, police can be seen stationed outside the embassy.
Kent Gavin/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images Supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini marching near the embassy, 1 May 1980.Kent Gavin/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
The gunmen belonged to a dissident Iranian group opposed to Ayatollah Khomeini, the religious leader who came to power in 1979. Near to the scene of the siege, supporters of Khomeini made their views known with a protest.
F Zabci/Shutterstock SAS move inF Zabci/Shutterstock
On the sixth day of the siege, after the gunmen shot dead Iranian press attache Abbas Lavasani and dumped his body outside the building, Home Secretary William Whitelaw ordered the SAS to attack.
PA Media SAS enter the buildingPA Media
The SAS went in barely 20 minutes after the command was issued - their assault relayed by TV cameras trained on the embassy. In 15 minutes it was all over.
Presentational white space
F Zabci/Shutterstock One of the hostages makes his escapeF Zabci/Shutterstock
The siege ended with two hostages dead and one of the gunmen left alive. Here, one of the hostages manages to climb out of the embassy.
PA Media Reporters on the scenePA Media
Many reporters and photographers were on hand and millions of people watched on television as bank holiday entertainment on all three channels was interrupted to show the real-life drama unfold.
PA Mr Whitelaw at the scenePA
Mr Whitelaw said he regretted force had to be used - but that there was "no alternative".
Ray Moreton/David Levenson/Keystone/Getty Images The embassyRay Moreton/David Levenson/Keystone/Getty Images
Although Iran had supported the SAS raid, it took about 13 years for a mutual compensation package to be agreed whereby the British government paid for the damage done to the Iranian embassy and Iran repaired the British embassy in Tehran.