Iran Hostage Crisis

May 19, 2016

On November 4, 1979, 66 Americans were taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran (13 of them were released shortly afterwards). They were taken by a group of Iranian students. This was a protest against the U.S. providing cancer treatment to Iran's former Shah who was removed from office and was deported. They wanted to break ties with America in Iranian affairs. They also did it to support their revolution leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni, who was anti-American.

During the 1970's, many Iranian people did not like the way the Shah was governing the country. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni was a radical cleric who wanted freedom for Iran. He gained a following of people who shared his ideas. In 1979, they forced the Shah out of the country. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni then established an Islmaic Military to take the place of the government.

On November 4, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was broken into by Pro-Ayatollah students and they took over 60 Americans hostage. The hostages were not being tortured, but they were blindfolded and not allowed to speak. President Carter made efforts to free the hostages, so they launched Operation Eagle Claw as an attempt to send a rescue team to the Embassy, but it failed due to a sandstorm. Many people saw Carter as a weak president due to his inability to solve this issue. The hostages were finally released on January 21, 1981, just hours after Ronald Regan gave his inagural adress.

http://www.history.com/topics/iran-hostage-crisis