Edward B. Johnson, the second CIA officer in Iran for the 'Argo' rescue mission, dies at age 81

Edward B. Johnson, who as a Central Intelligence Agency officer traveled into Iran with a colleague to rescue six American diplomats who fled the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran, has died at age 81. That's according to the CIA, which confirmed Johnson's death on Monday. Johnson, who went by Ed, was 81. Johnson’s identity for decades had been hidden from the public, known only by the pseudonym “Julio” after fellow CIA officer Antonio “Tony” Mendez published a book recounting the episode. The 2012 Academy Award-winning film “Argo,” directed by and starring Ben Affleck, didn’t include the second man on the team. In 2023, the CIA itself revealed Johnson’s identity in a podcast highlighting the agency’s work to free the diplomats hiding at the Canadian ambassador’s residence in Tehran.