Iran Hostages Freed: 444 Days of Crisis Ends
Iranian students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, seizing sixty-six Americans and demanding the Shah's return for trial. The hostage crisis consumed the final fourteen months of Jimmy Carter's presidency. A rescue attempt, Operation Eagle Claw, ended in disaster in the Iranian desert when a helicopter collided with a transport plane, killing eight servicemen. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance resigned in protest over the mission. The hostages were subjected to mock executions, solitary confinement, and constant psychological pressure. Iran released them on January 20, 1981, minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president, a timing calculated to deliver a final humiliation to Carter. The 444-day ordeal shattered American confidence in its global standing and permanently poisoned relations between Washington and Tehran.
January 20, 1981
45 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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