Most of the ending of the film is pure Hollywood drama. This is mainly because the actual exfiltration went swimmingly. Tony Mendez, one of the two CIA agents who accompanied the six out of Tehran, writes that their experience at the airport was "smooth as silk", the only obstacle being that "the flight was delayed at departure due to mechanical problems" (Mendez). . The canceled mission the night before, the lack of tickets at the airport, the realization that they were Americans, and the chase that followed were all entirely made up. In 2014 the CIA even published a series of tweets distinguishing the “reel vs. real” by Argo. These tweets specified that Carter had approved the operation before Mendez and his partner left for Tehran, that there were no problems with the tickets at the counter and that they had never had to look for a seat at the market (CIA). This dramatization, while copious, only serves to make the film more exciting and fun to watch than it would have otherwise been. It may leave viewers curious about the reality, but it's no secret that the escape was dramatized, and a quick Google search will bring up extensive results that provide this