The Iran Hostage Crisis was a 444-day period during which 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage by Iranian militants after they seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979.
Below, World History Edu present Frequently Asked Questions about the Iran Hostage Crisis:
The immediate cause was the U.S. decision to allow the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to enter the United States for medical treatment. Many Iranians viewed the Shah as a puppet of the U.S. and were angered by this decision.
The hostages were 52 American diplomats and citizens working or visiting the embassy.
US President Jimmy Carter called for the immediate release of the hostages, imposed economic sanctions, and later approved a failed military rescue attempt known as Operation Eagle Claw.
The militants, mostly students, wanted the U.S. to return the Shah to Iran for trial. They also opposed U.S. influence in Iran and supported the Iranian Revolution.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian Revolution, initially opposed the hostage-taking but later endorsed it, citing the long history of U.S. interference in Iran.
After lengthy negotiations, the hostages were released on January 20, 1981, minutes after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th president of the United States.
The Algiers Accords was a set of agreements brokered by Algeria between the U.S. and Iran that led to the release of the hostages. The U.S. agreed to not interfere in Iranian affairs and to release Iranian assets in exchange for the hostages’ release.
The crisis marked a significant deterioration in U.S.-Iran relations, leading to decades of mutual hostility.
Although international law deemed the seizure of an embassy and the taking of diplomats as hostages illegal, none of the hostage-takers were ever punished. Many went on to hold positions of power within Iran.
The crisis played a role in the 1980 U.S. presidential election. Many believe that President Carter’s inability to successfully resolve the crisis contributed to his electoral defeat by Ronald Reagan.
In 2015, U.S. Congress passed legislation granting compensation to the hostages or their families, paid from fines against companies violating sanctions against Iran.
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