On November 4, 1979, Iranian students and revolutionary activists seize the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. According to a PBS timeline, around 90 people are taken hostage, including 63 Americans. U.S. archival sources, however, use another count – 66 American employees and citizens are initially detained, with 52 remaining in captivity until the end of the crisis. The discrepancy stems from how those detained in the first hours and those subsequently released were counted.
The seizure takes place several months after the Islamic Revolution, which overthrows Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. On October 22, 1979, the United States allows the shah to enter its territory for medical treatment. To Iran’s revolutionary forces, this is proof that Washington may once again provide him with political support. The students demand that he be returned to Iran to stand trial.
The Detention Turns into a State Crisis
The initial action is organized by students, but receives the support of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Iran’s new government. Thus, the brief assault turns into an international crisis lasting 444 days. The U.S. National Archives notes that the seizure was also used to consolidate support around Iran’s new political order.
Thirteen people are released on November 19 and 20, 1979, including women and African Americans. On July 11, 1980, Richard Queen, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, is also released. The remaining 52 Americans continue to be held captive.
President Jimmy Carter states that the United States will not abandon efforts to secure their release:
“We will not stop and we will not waver in our efforts until all of them are released.”
The Failed Rescue Operation
Washington freezes Iranian assets and imposes economic and political measures. On April 24, 1980, the United States launches Operation “Eagle Claw” to free the hostages. The mission is aborted because of technical problems and poor conditions in the desert. Eight American servicemen are killed in a collision between a transport aircraft and a helicopter. The failure deals a heavy blow to Carter’s presidency and becomes one of the most memorable moments of the crisis.
The Release Comes After the Change of Power in Washington
Algeria mediates the final negotiations that lead to the Algiers Accords, signed on January 19, 1981. The following day – January 20, minutes after Ronald Reagan is sworn into office – the 52 hostages are released. Thus ends the crisis that began with the seizure of the embassy 444 days earlier.
The case changes U.S. policy toward Iran, severs diplomatic relations between the two countries, and leaves a lasting legacy of mutual distrust. In the United States, the crisis also becomes a symbol of the Carter administration’s weakness, while in Iran it becomes one of the founding myths of the revolutionary government.
Sources: pbs.org, history.com, apnews.com