In 1980, the MP5 achieved an iconic status during the Iranian Embassy siege, when British Army Special Air Service operatives used MP5s with top-mounted flashlights to assault the embassy and rescue the hostages held inside. Photos of the operation featuring MP5s were widely disseminated in the press and popular media, and drove other military and police units to purchase MP5s as well, quickly making the MP5 widely recognizable and associated with elite counterterrorist units. The MP5 has since become a mainstay in militaries, special forces, and police tactical units across the world, but has gradually been replaced since the late 1990s by rifles, carbines, and personal defense weapons due to changes in armament trends, including growing access to body armor that can stop handgun cartridges.
In 1980 the MP5 achieved an iconic status during the Iranian Embassy siege, when British Army Special Air Service operatives used MP5s with top-mounted flashlights to assault the embassy and rescue the hostages held inside. Photos of the operation featuring MP5s were widely disseminated in the press and popular media and drove other military and police units to purchase MP5s as well, quickly making the MP5 widely recognizable and associated with elite counterterrorist units. The MP5 has since become a mainstay in militaries, special forces, and police tactical units across the world, but has gradually been replaced since the late 1990s by rifles carbines, and personal defense weapons due to changes in armament trends, including growing access to body armor that can stop handgun cartridges.