The U-S diplomat who helping craft the plan to smuggle six State Department employees out of Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis in the late ’70s has died. The story was recounted in the award-winning movie ‘Argo.’

Peter Tarnoff was a behind the scenes envoy who was credited with creating the elaborate scheme dubbed the “Canadian Caper” which called for two CIA operatives to head to Tehran posing as Canadian filmmakers scouting locations for a science-fiction film

The six Americans would later escape Tehran using fake Canadian passports.

Pater Tarnoff has died from complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 86.