In 1981, Iran's first president escaped his own country in a daring clandestine flight
Following his political downfall, Iran's first president, Abolhassan Banisadr, donned a disguise and boarded a hijacked military jet for a high-stakes escape through hostile airspace to reach safety in France.
In 1981, just eighteen months after becoming Iran's first president, Abolhassan Banisadr found himself in hiding after being impeached by the revolutionary government. On July 29, he executed a cinematic escape alongside rebel leader Massoud Rajavi. They were smuggled onto a Boeing 707 piloted by Colonel Behzad Moezzi, who had previously served as the Shah's personal pilot.
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