Iranian militants escort a blindfolded U. S. hostage to the media. ^[1]

The Iran hostage crisis (Persian: تصرف سفارت آمریکا) was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 U. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the S. diplomats were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of students took over the American embassy in support of Iran's revolution. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed ^[2]

In Iran, the incident was seen by many as a blow against U. S. influence in Iran and its support of the recently fallen Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had been restored to power by a CIA-funded coup in 1953 and who had recently been allowed into the United States for cancer treatment. Shah is an Iranian term for a Monarch (leader that has been adopted in many other languages near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all The 1953 Iranian Coup d'état deposed the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq and his cabinet, it was effected by Gen In the United States, the hostage-taking was widely seen as an outrage violating a centuries-old principle of international law granting diplomats immunity from arrest and diplomatic compounds sovereignty in the territory of the host country they occupy. Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments which ensures that Diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself ^[3]

The ordeal reached a climax when the United States military attempted a rescue operation, Operation Eagle Claw, on April 24, 1980, which resulted in an aborted mission and the deaths of eight American military men. Operation Eagle Claw (or Operation Evening Light) was a United States military operation to rescue the 53 hostages from the U Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The crisis ended with the signing of the Algiers Accords in Algeria on January 19, 1981. There are other agreements forged in Algiers See Algiers Agreement The Algiers Accords of January 19, 1981, were brokered Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The hostages were formally released into United States custody the following day, just minutes after the new American president Ronald Reagan was sworn in.

In America, the crisis is thought by some political analysts to be the primary reason for U.S. President Jimmy Carter's defeat in the November 1980 presidential election. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent Ronald Reagan ^[4] In Iran, the crisis is thought to have strengthened the prestige of the Ayatollah Khomeini and consolidated the political hold of radical anti-American forces who supported the hostage taking. Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 The crisis also marked the beginning of American legal action, or sanctions, that economically separated Iran from America. Sanctions blocked all property within U. S. jurisdiction owned by the Central Bank and Government of Iran. ^[5]

Background

Further information: Operation Ajax and Iranian Revolution

For several decades, the United States had been an ally and backer of Iran’s Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The 1953 Iranian Coup d'état deposed the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq and his cabinet, it was effected by Gen The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed During World War II, Allied powers Britain and the Soviet Union occupied Iran to prevent it from allying with the Axis Powers, and forced the reigning monarch, Reza Shah, to abdicate in favor of his son Mohammad. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries For the Afghan serial killer see Reza Khan (Taliban. ^[6] After WWII and during the Cold War, Iran allied itself with the U. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the S. against the Soviet Union, Iran’s neighbor and occasional enemy and occupier. America provided the Shah with military and economic aid.

In the midst of this era, however, Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, an Iranian nationalist and political opponent of the Shah, nationalized Iran’s foreign-owned and -managed oil producer, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Mohammad Mosaddeq ( (, pronounced mosæddeq}} also Mosaddegh or Mossadegh) ( May 19 1882 – 5 March 1967) was a major Iranian Nationalism is the term given to describe a political movement that has been in existence in the Iran for thousands of Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government The Anglo-Persian Oil Company ( APOC) was founded in 1908 following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjed Soleiman, Iran. The nationalization was highly popular in Iran, and a forerunner of similar third world nationalist movements. Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation The company’s furious British owners withdrew employees and ceased oil production and royalty payments to the Iranian government which seriously harmed Iran's economy. In its Cold War solidarity with the UK the American government refused to break the UK boycott and insisted Iran negotiated with Britain. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the As domestic disatisfaction grew, so did American concern about Soviet influence in Iran. Working with Iranian opponents of Mossadegh, in 1953 the CIA and British intelligence launched Operation Ajax, orchestrating a coup d’état to overthrow the elected prime minister and replace him with a pro-Western one. The Secret Intelligence Service ( SIS) colloquially known as MI6 is the United Kingdom 's external Intelligence agency. The 1953 Iranian Coup d'état deposed the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq and his cabinet, it was effected by Gen In subsequent decades this foreign intervention, along with other economic, cultural and political issues, united opposition against the Shah and led to his overthrow. The Shah’s regime fell in the Iranian revolution of 1978-79, and the Shah left the country in January 1979. The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed ^[7][8][9]

The Carter administration attempted to mitigate the damage by finding a new relationship with the de facto Iranian government and by continuing military cooperation in hopes that the situation would stabilize. On October 22, 1979, however, the U. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) S. permitted the Shah, who was ill with cancer, to come to the Mayo Clinic for medical treatment. Mayo Clinic is a Non-profit medical practice Its headquarters the Mayo Medical School and its research facilities are in Rochester Minnesota in

The American embassy in Tehran had vigorously opposed the request, understanding the political delicacy, but after pressure from influential figures including former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Council on Foreign Relations chairman David Rockefeller, the Carter administration decided to grant the Shah’s request. Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German -born American bureaucrat diplomat and 1973 The Council on Foreign Relations ( CFR) is an American Nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (at David Rockefeller Sr (born June 12, 1915) is a prominent American Banker, Statesman, Globalist and the current patriarch ^[10]

Among the revolutionary factions, the Shah's admission to the US intensified their anti-Americanism and spawned rumors of another U. S. -backed coup and re-installation of the Shah. Revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini heightened rhetoric against the “Great Satan”, the United States, talking of what he called “evidence of American plotting. Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 ”^[11] Khomeini had been exiled by the Shah in 1964, living outside Iran for 15 years.

The hostage takers were “convinced that the embassy was a center of opposition to the new government” and thus their action was connected to the 1953 U. S. -backed coup against the democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Mosaddeq.

"You have no right to complain, because you took our whole country hostage in 1953. ”

said one of the hostage takers to Bruce Laingen, chief U. S. diplomat in Iran at the time. ^[12] Some Iranians were concerned that the U. S. was plotting another coup against their country in 1979 from the American embassy and wanted to prevent it. ^[13]

A later study found that there had been no plots for the overthrow of the revolutionaries by the United States, and that a CIA intelligence gathering mission at the embassy was “notably ineffectual, gathering little information and hampered by the fact that none of the agents spoke the local language, Persian. ” Its work was “routine, prudent espionage conducted at diplomatic missions everywhere. ”^[14]

It is also argued that connections of Chase Manhattan Bank and its chairman, Rockefeller, to the Shah played a role in the hostage-taking. Chase is the consumer and commercial banking division of JPMorgan Chase. ^[15][16]

Planning

The seizure of the American embassy was initially planned in September 1979 by Iranian politician Ebrahim Asgharzadeh. Ebrahim Asgharzadeh ( Persian:ابراهیم اصغرزاده served as a member of the 3rd Majlis (Iran's legislature during 1989-1993 and as a member of the first He consulted with the heads of the Islamic associations of Tehran’s main universities, including the University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology (Polytechnic of Tehran) and Iran University of Science and Technology. The University of Tehran ( also known as Tehran University and UT, is the oldest and largest university of Iran. Sharif University of Technology ( Persian: دانشگاه صنعتی شریف Dāneshgāh-e San'ati-ye Sharif formerly named Aryamehr University of Technology Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT دانشگاه صنعتی امیرکبیر formerly named Tehran Polytechnic, is a Public, Coeducational The Iran University of Science and Technology (دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران is a research institution and University of engineering and science in

Asgharzadeh later said there were five students at the first meeting, two of whom wanted to target the Soviet embassy because the USSR was “a Marxist and anti-God regime. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ” But two others, Mirdamadi and Habibolah Bitaraf, supported Asgharzadeh’s chosen target—the United States. Mohsen Mirdamadi was an organizer of the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, a member of the parliament of Iran (the Majlis) from 2000-2004 and the "head of the largest Habibolah Bitaraf was Energy Minister of Iran for 8 years during the Mohammad Khatami presidency "Our aim was to object against the American government by going to their embassy and occupying it for several hours," Asgharzadeh said. "Announcing our objections from within the occupied compound would carry our message to the world in a much more firm and effective way. "^[17] Mirdamadi told an interviewer, "we intended to detain the diplomats for a few days, maybe one week, but no more. "^[18] Masoumeh Ebtekar, spokewoman for the Iranian students during the crisis, said that those who rejected Asgharzadeh's plan did not participate in the subsequent events. Masoumeh Ebtekar ( Persian: معصومه ابتکار born 1960 is an Iranian scientist and politician ,^[19]

The group denied that Khomeini had incited the plan,^[20] but they wanted to inform him through Ayatollah Musavi Khoeyniha. Ayatollah ( Persian: آيت‌الله, âyato-llâh, from Arabic: آية الله, āyatu 'llāh, meaning 'the sign of Ayatollah Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha is an Iranian cleric and secretary general of the reformist Association of Combatant Clerics. They said they thought he already knew their plan. Khoeyniha, however, was unable to inform Khomeini, who only became aware of the plan after the hostages were taken. Later, Khomeini supported the seizure and called it "the second revolution" and a take-over of the "American spy den in Tehran. "

One week after the Shah was admitted (22 Oct. 1979) into the United States, Khomeini urged his supporters to demonstrate against United States and Israeli interests. Khomeini denounced the American government as the "Great Satan" and "Enemy of Islam. "

The takeover was aided by revolutionaries who observed the security procedures of the U. S. Marine guards from nearby rooftops overlooking the embassy. They also used experiences from the recent revolution, during which the U. S. embassy grounds were briefly occupied. Notably, protest crowds outside the fence were increasingly common, and Iranian police had become less and less helpful to the embassy staff.

Takeover

Around 6:30 a. m. on November 4, the ringleaders gathered between 300 and 500 selected students, thereafter known as Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, and briefed them on the battle plan. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line (faدانشجویان مسلمان پیرو خط امام also translated as Muslim Students of the Imam Khomeini Line, was an A female student was given a pair of metal cutters to break the chains locking the embassy's gates, and she hid them beneath her chador. A chador or chadar ( Persian چادر‎) from Sanskrit chattram) is an outer Garment or open Cloak worn by ^[21]

The crowd overran the soldiers and staff and paraded them blindfolded in front of photographers. Six American diplomats avoided capture when the embassy was seized and found refuge at the nearby Canadian and Swedish embassies in Tehran for three months. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. They fled Iran using Canadian passports on January 28, 1980. Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) ^[22]

444 days hostage

A group photograph of the former hostages in the hospital. The 52 hostages are spending a few days in the hospital after their release from Iran prior to their departure for the United States.

The hostage-takers, declaring their solidarity with other "oppressed minorities" and "the special place of women in Islam," released 13 women and Americans of African descent in the middle of November 1979. One more hostage, Richard Queen, was released in July 1980 after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Richard Ivan Queen (b 1951 - August 14, 2002) was born in Washington D Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata) is an autoimmune condition in which the The remaining 52 hostages were held captive until January 1981.

Although the hostage takers declared that the hostages were actually "guests of the Ayatollah", the "guests'" treatment was not always kind. They were often paraded blindfolded before local crowds and television cameras, "experienced long periods of solitary confinement, and for months were forbidden to speak to one another. "^[14]

The initial takeover plan was to hold the embassy for only a few hours, but it soon changed. Khomeini made no comment on the occupation for several days, waiting first to gauge American reaction to the hostage taking, which he feared might be violent. ^[23] It was not. Some attribute the Iranian decision not to release the hostages quickly to the soft line of U. S. President Jimmy Carter; his immediate response was to appeal for the release of the hostages on humanitarian grounds and to share his hopes of a strategic anti-communist alliance with the Islamic Republic. ^[24] Iran's moderate prime minister Mehdi Bazargan and his cabinet resigned under pressure just days after the event. Mehdi Bazargan (مهدی بازرگان In Persian) (September 1907 - January 20, 1995) (also spelled Mahdi Bazargan) was a prominent

In the United States, the crisis led to daily news updates. ^[25] Public opinion was almost unanimously outraged against the perpetrators' taking hostages. The action was seen "not just as a diplomatic affront," but as a "declaration of war on diplomacy itself. "^[26] Carter applied economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran: oil imports from Iran were ended on November 12, 1979, and through the issuance of Executive Order 12170, around US$8 billion of Iranian assets in the U. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Executive Order 12170 was issued by American president Jimmy Carter on 14 November, 1979 during the Iran hostage crisis. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been S. were frozen by the Office of Foreign Assets Control on November 14. The Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC) is an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury under the auspices of the Under Secretary of the Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Many Iranians in the U. S. were also expelled. In early December, Carter would also meet with 16 consultants, experts in their respective fields all of which related to Cultures in and around Iran. Of these was professor Wadie Jwaideh, chairman of Near Eastern languages and literatures at Indiana University.

The Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line justified taking the hostages as retaliation for the admission of the Shah into the U. S. , and they demanded that the Shah be returned to Iran for trial and execution. The U. S. maintained that the Shah, who died less than a year later in July 1980, had come to America only for medical attention. The group's other demands included that the U. S. government apologize for its interference in the internal affairs of Iran and for the overthrow of Prime Minister Mossadeq, and that Iran's frozen assets in the U. S. be released. Revolutionary teams displayed secret documents taken from the embassy, sometimes painstakingly reconstructed after shredding,^[27] to buttress their claim that "the Great Satan" (the U. Paper shredders are used to cut Paper into chad, typically either strips or fine particles S. ) was trying to destabilize the new regime, and that Iranian moderates were in league with the U. S.

The duration of the hostages' captivity has been blamed on internal Iranian revolutionary politics. As Ayatollah Khomeini told Iran's president:

This action has many benefits. . . . This has united our people. Our opponents do not dare act against us. We can put the constitution to the people's vote without difficulty, and carry out presidential and parliamentary elections. ^[28]

Theocratic Islamists, as well as leftist political groups and figures like radical leftist People's Mujahedin of Iran,^[29] supported the taking of American hostages as an attack on "American imperialism" and its alleged Iranian "tools of the West. The People's Mujahedin of Iran ( PMOI, also MEK, MKO) ( Persian: سازمان مجاهدين خلق ايران sāzmān-e mojāhedin-e khalq-e " By embracing the hostage-taking under the slogan "America can't do a thing," Khomeini rallied support and deflected criticism from his controversial Islamic theocratic constitution, which was due for a referendum vote in less than one month. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic ^[30] Following the successful referendum, both radical leftists and theocrats continued to use the issue of alleged pro-Americanism to suppress their opponents, the relatively moderate political forces, which included the Iranian Freedom Movement, National Front, Grand Ayatollah Shari'atmadari,^[31] and later President Abolhassan Banisadr. Abol-hassan Banisadr ( Persian: ابوالحسن بنی‌صدر born 22 March 1933) was the first President of Iran, following the 1979 In particular, carefully selected diplomatic dispatches and reports discovered at the embassy and released by the hostage takers led to the disempowerment and resignations of moderate figures^[32] such as Premier Mehdi Bazargan. The political danger in Iran of any move seen as accommodating America, along with the failed rescue attempt, delayed a negotiated release. After the hostages were released, radical leftists and theocrats turned on each other, with the stronger theocratic group decimating the left.

A man holding a sign during a protest of the crisis in Washington, D.C. in 1979. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The sign reads "Deport all Iranians" and "Get the hell out of my country" on its forefront, and "Release all Americans now" on its back.

Canadian Caper

On the day the hostages were seized, six American diplomats evaded capture and remained in hiding at the Swedish and Canadian embassies. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page In 1979, the Canadian Parliament held a secret session for the first time since World War II in order to pass special legislation allowing Canadian passports to be issued to some American citizens so that they could escape. The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. A passport is a document issued by a national government which certifies for the purpose of international travel the identity and nationality of its holder Six American diplomats boarded a flight to Zürich, Switzerland, on January 28, 1980. Zürich (, Zürich German: Züri, Zurich, Zurigo; in English generally Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Their escape and rescue from Iran by Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor has come to be known as the Canadian Caper. Kenneth Douglas "Ken" Taylor, OC, BA, MBA, LLD (born October 5, 1934 in Calgary, Alberta The Canadian Caper was the unofficial name given to the Covert rescue by the Government of Canada of six American Diplomats who evaded capture ^[33]

Laingen dispatches

During the hostage crisis, several foreign diplomats and ambassadors including Taylor came to visit the American hostages. The diplomats and ambassadors helped the American government stay in contact with the American hostages. Through these meetings with foreign governments, the "Laingen dispatches," made by hostage Bruce Laingen, were conveyed to the American government. Lowell Bruce Laingen (born August 6 1922) was the senior American official held hostage during the Iran hostage crisis.

Rescue attempts

Further information: Operation Eagle Claw

Rejecting Iranian demands, Carter approved an ill-fated secret rescue mission, Operation Eagle Claw. Operation Eagle Claw (or Operation Evening Light) was a United States military operation to rescue the 53 hostages from the U Operation Eagle Claw (or Operation Evening Light) was a United States military operation to rescue the 53 hostages from the U Late in the afternoon of April 24, eight RH-53D helicopters flew from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz toward a remote landing site (really just a desert road) serving as an airstrip in the Great Salt Desert of Eastern Iran, near Tabas. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Ship's history The USS Nimitz was first deployed to the Mediterranean in 1976 in company with the nuclear powered Cruisers USS ''South Carolina'' Dasht-e Kavir (دشت كوير in Persian) also known as Kavir-e Namak or Great Salt Desert is a large desert lying in the middle Tabas (طبس center of Tabas County, is a city of 30000 people located in central Iran 950 kilometers southeast of Tehran in the province of Yazd. Early the next morning six of the eight RH-53D helicopters met up with several waiting C-130 transport and refueling airplanes at the landing site and refueling area, designated "Desert One" by the mission. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Of the two helicopters that did not make it to Desert One, one suffered avionics failures en route and returned to the USS Nimitz, and the other had an indication that one of its main rotor blades was fractured, and was abandoned in the desert en route to Desert One. Ship's history The USS Nimitz was first deployed to the Mediterranean in 1976 in company with the nuclear powered Cruisers USS ''South Carolina'' Its crew was seen and retrieved by another helicopter that continued to Desert One. The helicopters maintained strict radio silence under orders for the entire flight, an issue which impacted their ability to maintain a cohesive flying unit while en route, as they all arrived separately and behind schedule. The strict radio silence also prevented them from requesting permission to fly above the sandstorm as the C-130s had done, and they flew the entire route at hazardous low levels, even while inside the sandstorm and with limited field of vision and erratic instrumentation. A haboob is a type of intense sandstorm commonly observed in the Sahara desert (typically Sudan) as well as across the Arabian Peninsula throughout Kuwait and in A haboob is a type of intense sandstorm commonly observed in the Sahara desert (typically Sudan) as well as across the Arabian Peninsula throughout Kuwait and in

The mission plan called for a minimum of six helicopters but of the six that made it to Desert One, one had a failed primary hydraulics system and had flown on the secondary hydraulics system for the previous four hours.

The failing helicopter's crew wanted to continue, but due to the increased risk of not having a backup hydraulic system during flight, the helicopter squadron's commander decided to ground the helicopter. The Delta commander, Col. Beckwith, then recommended the mission be aborted and his recommendation was approved, President Carter being the commander of the mission. As the helicopters repositioned themselves for refueling, one helicopter landed on top of a C-130 fuel bird and crashed, killing eight U. S. servicemen and injuring several more.

After the mission and its failure were made known, Khomeini's prestige skyrocketed in Iran as he credited divine intervention on behalf of Islam for the result. ^[34] In America, Carter made a television address on April 25th about the attempted rescue operation, which further damaged his political popularity and prospects for being reelected in 1980.

A second rescue attempt that was planned but never attempted used highly modified YMC-130H Hercules aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Outfitted with rocket thrusters fore and aft to allow an extremely short landing and takeoff in a soccer stadium, three aircraft were modified under a rushed super-secret program known as Operation Credible Sport. Operation Credible Sport was a United States military operation plan in late 1980 to rescue the hostages held in Iran using C-130 One aircraft crashed during a demonstration at Duke Field at Eglin Air Force Base Auxiliary Field 3 on October 29, 1980, when its landing braking rockets were fired too soon. Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The misfire caused a hard touchdown that tore off the starboard wing and started a fire; all on board survived. The impending change in the White House following the November election led to an abandonment of this project. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence The two surviving airframes were returned to regular duty with the rocket packages removed. One is on display at the Museum of Aviation located next to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule

The aforementioned failed rescue attempt led to the creation of the 160th S.O.A.R., a helicopter aviation special forces group in the United States Army. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities.

Final months

At the end of the Iran hostage crisis, Vice President George H. W. Bush and other VIPs wait to welcome hostages home

The hostages disembark Freedom One, an Air Force VC-137 Stratoliner aircraft, upon their arrival at the base.

The death of the Shah on July 27 and the invasion of Iran by Iraq in September 1980 made Iran more receptive to the idea of resolving the hostage crisis. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Despite losing the November 1980 presidential election to Ronald Reagan, President Jimmy Carter, in the final days of his office, negotiated the release of the hostages through Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Algerian intermediaries and members of the Iranian government. The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent Ronald Reagan

In the closing days of Carter's Presidency, Algerian diplomat Abdulkarim Ghuraib opened fruitful, albeit biased, negotiations between the U. S. and Iran. This resulted in the "Algiers Accords" of January 19, 1981, which entailed Iran's commitment to free the hostages immediately. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981

Point I: Non-Intervention in Iranian Affairs, "The United States pledges that it is and from now on will be the policy of the United States not to intervene, directly or indirectly, politically or militarily, in Iran's internal affairs. " Other provisions of the Algiers Accords were the unfreezing of $8 billion of Iranian assets and immunity from lawsuits Iran might have faced.

On January 20, 1981, minutes after Reagan was sworn in as President, the hostages were formally released into U. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 S. custody, having spent 444 days in captivity. The hostages were flown to Algeria as a symbolic gesture for the help of that government in resolving the crisis. The flight continued to Rhein-Main Air Base in West Germany, where former President Carter, acting as emissary, received them. Rhein-Main Air Base (located at) was a US Air Force / NATO military airbase near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( After medical check-ups and debriefings, they took a second flight to Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, with a refueling stop in Shannon, Ireland, where they were greeted by a large crowd. Not to be confused with Sewart Air Force Base. For the civil use of this facilty see Stewart International Airport Stewart Shannon The name has relatives Shane Shayne and Sian. People Surname Bob Shannon, wrote first bulletin board system (BBS for Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world From Newburgh they travelled by bus to the United States Military Academy, receiving a heroes' welcome all along the route. "USMA" redirects here For other uses see USMA (disambiguation The United States Military Academy (also known as USMA, Ten days after their release, the former hostages were given a ticker tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes in New York City. A ticker-tape parade is a Parade event held in a downtown urban setting allowing the jettison of large amounts of shredded paper products from nearby Office " Canyon of Heroes " is a Colloquialism referring to the section of New York City 's lower Broadway and the Financial District that is The City of New York

Aftermath

A defaced Great Seal of the United States at the former U. The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. S. embassy, Tehran, Iran, as it appears today

In Iran the crisis was a failure for the Islamic Republic in some respects. Iran lost international support for its war against Iraq, and the settlement was considered almost wholly favorable to the United States since it did not meet any of Iran's original demands. ^[35] But the crisis strengthened Iranian radicals who supported the hostage taking. Anti-Americanism became even more intense, and anti-American rhetoric continued unabated. ^[36] Radicals such as Musavi-Khoeniha and Behzad Nabavi^[37] were left in a stronger position, while those associated or accused of association with America were removed from the political picture.

In America, gifts were showered upon the hostages upon their return, including lifetime passes to any minor league or Major League Baseball game. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North ^[38]

In 2000, the hostages and their families tried to sue Iran, unsuccessfully, under the Antiterrorism Act. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub They originally won the case when Iran failed to provide a defense, but the U.S. State Department tried to put an end to the suit, fearing that it would make international relations difficult. As a result, a federal judge ruled that nothing could be done to repay the damages the hostages faced because of the agreement the U. S. made when the hostages were freed.

The US embassy building is used by Iran's government and its affiliated groups. The Guardian reported in 2006 that a group called The Committee for the Commemoration of Martyrs of the Global Islamic Campaign used the US embassy to recruit "martyrdom seekers", volunteers to carry out operations against Western and Jewish targets. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Mohammad Samadi, a spokesman for the group, signed up several hundred volunteers in a few days. ^[39]

October Surprise conspiracy theory

Further information: October surprise conspiracy

The October Surprise theory refers to a purported deal between high-level Reagan campaign operatives (such as campaign manager and future CIA Director William J. Casey) and representatives of the Iranian government to delay the release of the hostages until after the November 1980 U. The October Surprise conspiracy was an alleged plot that claimed representatives of the 1980 Ronald Reagan presidential campaign had conspired with Islamic Republic In Representative democracies, Electoral campaigns larger than a few individuals generally include a campaign manager, either Paid or Volunteer Director of the Central Intelligence Agency ( D/CIA) serves as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which is part of the United States Intelligence William Joseph Casey ( March 13, 1913 &ndash May 6, 1987) was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987 S. elections. Although investigations by the United States Senate and House of Representatives in the 1990s declared the allegations to be unfounded, the conspiracy's existence or lack thereof remains a subject of debate. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The exact nature of the allegations lies in a potential violation of the International Commerce Acts of 1798, which prohibit any private citizen or party from negotiating with a foreign power in matters of national policy or military action. It is alleged by political opponents that the Reagan campaign, or one of Reagan's election campaign staffers, communicated with the Iranian government and asked them to extend the hostage crisis long enough to ensure that he won the 1980 elections. The main cause for suspicion was the seeming coincidence of his inauguration and the hostages' release six minutes after Reagan was sworn into office on January 20, 1981, as well as the Reagan administration's later decision to provide arms to the anti-U. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 S. Iranian government, allegedly in return not for freeing the hostages, but for delaying their release. ^[40]

However, special ops personnel involved in the preparations for the second rescue attempt believed that incoming President Ronald Reagan was involved in the planning and timing of the second rescue attempt, and that these intentions were either implied or made known to the de facto Iranian government, leading to the hostages' release just minutes after Reagan's inauguration. This was reinforced by the fact that the personnel involved were on alert status, ready to go at a moment's notice, in the days leading up to the inauguration, and that the required equipment was already packed up and waiting to be shipped. Thus, a perceived and possibly communicated threat of invasion could also have influenced the timing of the hostage release. ^[41]. ^[42]

Hostages

November 4, 1979 - January 20, 1981 - 66 original captives - 63 from and held at Embassy, three from and held at Foreign Ministry Office. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981

At least three of the hostages were operatives of the CIA. ^[14]

Thirteen hostages were released from November 19-20, 1979, and one was released on July 11, 1980. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Fifty-two remaining hostages endured 444 days of captivity until their release (announced across the Capitol grounds twenty minutes after the swearing in of the new President) on Reagan's Inauguration Day, January 20, 1981. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981

Six diplomats who evaded capture

Further information: Canadian Caper

• Robert Anders, 34 - Consular Officer
• Mark J. The Canadian Caper was the unofficial name given to the Covert rescue by the Government of Canada of six American Diplomats who evaded capture Lijek, 29 - Consular Officer
• Cora A. Lijek, 25 - Consular Assistant
• Henry L. Schatz, 31 - Agriculture Attaché
• Joseph D. Stafford, 29 - Consular Officer
• Kathleen F. Stafford, 28 - Consular Assistant

13 hostages released

From November 19-20, 1979, thirteen women and American personnel of African descent that had been captured and held hostage were released:

• Kathy Gross, 22 - Secretary
• Sgt. James Hughes, 30 - USAF Administrative Manager
• Lillian Johnson, 32 - Secretary
• Sgt. Ladell Maples, 23 - USMC Embassy Guard
• Elizabeth Montagne, 42 - Secretary
• Sgt. William Quarles, 23 - USMC Embassy Guard
• Lloyd Rollins, 40 - Administrative Officer
• Capt. Neal (Terry) Robinson, 30 - Administrative Officer
• Terri Tedford, 24 - Secretary
• Sgt. Joseph Vincent, 42 - USAF Administrative Manager
• Sgt. David Walker, 25 - USMC Embassy guard
• Joan Walsh, 33 - Secretary
• Cpl. Wesley Williams, 24 - USMC Embassy Guard

Richard I. Queen released

On July 11, 1980, 28-year-old Vice Consul Richard I. Queen, who had been captured and held hostage, was released because of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Richard Ivan Queen (b 1951 - August 14, 2002) was born in Washington D Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata) is an autoimmune condition in which the (Died August 14, 2002. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. )

52 remaining hostages released

The following fifty-two remaining hostages were held captive until January 20, 1981. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981

Servicemen awarded

For their service during the hostage crisis, the US military later awarded the 20 servicemen who were among the hostages the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. The Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense The only hostage serviceman not to be issued the medal was Staff Sgt. Joseph Subic, Jr. The reason given was that Subic did not behave under stress the way noncommissioned officers are expected to act[1], i. e. he cooperated with the hostage takers according to other hostages.

For their part in the mission, the Humanitarian Service Medal was awarded to the servicemen of Joint Task Force (JTF) 1-79 (the planning authority for Operation Rice Bowl/Eagle Claw) who participated in the rescue attempt. The Humanitarian Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by

Also, the USAF special ops component of the mission was awarded the AF Outstanding Unit award for that year for performing their part of the mission flawlessly, to include accomplishing the evacuation of the entire Desert One site after the accident and under extreme conditions.

Civilian hostages

A little-noted sidebar to the crisis was that a small number of hostages were not connected to the diplomatic staff. All had been released by late 1981.

• Mohi Sobhani, an Iranian-American engineer and a member of the Bahá'í Faith. Iranian Americans are American citizens of Iranian ethnicity or heritage An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Released 2/4/1981. (Died 7/12/2005)
• Zia Nassery/Nassri, an Afghan-American. The Demographics of Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically mixed Released 2/4/1981.
• Cynthia Dwyer, an American reporter, was eventually charged with espionage and expelled 2/10/1981.
• Electronic Data Systems employees Paul Chiapparone and Bill Gaylord rescued by Ross Perot-funded operation (see Arthur D. Simons) in 1979. Electronic Data Systems (EDS is a global Business and technology services company headquartered in Plano Texas that defined the Outsourcing business Henry Ross Perot (born June 27 1930 is an American businessman from Texas, who is best known for seeking the office of President of the United States in Colonel Arthur D "Bull" Simons (United States Army retired ( June 28 1918 - May 21 1979) was a United States Army
• Four British missionaries

Notable hostage takers

• Mohsen Mirdamadi, MP
• Masoumeh Ebtekar, translator

See also

• 2006 US raid on Iranian diplomats
• 1992 US Kidnapping of Iranian Businessman
• US attack on Iranian consular office in Arbil
• Baghdad kidnapping of Iranian diplomat (February 2007)
• Iran Air Flight 655
• Iranian diplomats kidnapping (1982)
• List of hostage crises
• Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam (2006)
• International crisis
• Controversies surrounding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
• October surprise conspiracy
• Iran-Contra affair
• Hussein Sheikholeslam
• Student Day in Iran
• Haleh Esfandiari

Notes

CNN- Former hostages allege Iran's new president was captor

References

• Bakhash, Shaul, The Reign of the Ayatollahs: Iran and the Islamic Revolution, Basic Books, 1984
• Moin, Baqer, Khomeini: Life of the Ayatollah, Thomas Dunne Books, c2000
• Ebtekar,Masoumeh and Fred Reed (January 20, 2001). Masoumeh Ebtekar ( Persian: معصومه ابتکار born 1960 is an Iranian scientist and politician Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Takeover in Tehran: The Inside Story of the 1979 U.S. Embassy Capture (Paperback), Publisher: Talonbooks; ISBN 0-88922-443-9
• 444 Days to Freedom: What Really Happened in Iran (1997). DVD UPC 033909253390

Further reading

• Ebtekar, Masoumeh; Fred Reed (2000). Masoumeh Ebtekar ( Persian: معصومه ابتکار born 1960 is an Iranian scientist and politician Takeover in Tehran: The Inside Story of the 1979 U. S. Embassy Capture. Burnaby, BC: Talonbooks. ISBN 0-88922-443-9.  
• Stewart, James (1983). James Bennett Stewart (born c1952 in Quincy Illinois) is an American lawyer journalist and author The Partners: Inside America's Most Powerful Law Firms. The Partners Inside America's Most Powerful Law Firms (1983 is a bestselling book by James B New York: Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster Inc, a division of CBS Corporation, is a Publisher founded in New York in 1924 by Richard L ISBN 0-671-42023-2.  
• Engelmayer, Sheldon D. (1981). Hostage: a Chronicle of the 444 Days in Iran. New York: Caroline House Publishing. ISBN 0-898-03084-6.  

External links

• Video Archive of Hostage Crisis
• The Memory Hole hosts a gallery of photographs taken from inside the U. S. Embassy during the crisis.
• List of hostages and casualties
• Remembering the Iran hostage crisis, BBC's interview with Ebrahim Asgeh, a hostage-taker, and Bruce Laingen, a captive
• Hostage list source
• "Learning to Keep a Secret"
• Documents seized from the US Embassy in Tehran
• The Hostage Rescue Attempt as remembered by a Marine who was off Iran for that mission, with history leading up to the crisis, the events of that time of Crisis including the Soviet takeover of Afghanistan, and the Rescue Mission