On July 22, 1980, Salahuddin showed up at Tabatabai's front door in Bethesda, Maryland, dressed as a mailman and driving a borrowed postal truck, telling Tabatabai's associate he had a special delivery package that required his signature. When Tabatabai appeared, Salahuddin shot him three times in the abdomen and fled. Tabatabai died 45 minutes later at a hospital. Salahuddin made his way to Iran by way of Montreal, Canada, and Geneva, Switzerland.
