1979 US Embassy in Tehran Hostage Crisis
Shah flees Iran amid civil unrest
US hostages released after 444 days
In November 1979, Iranian militants seized the US embassy in Tehran and took 52 American hostages. The crisis lasted for 444 days and ended with the release of the hostages in January 1981. The hostage crisis was a major turning point in US-Iran relations and helped to fuel the Iranian Revolution.
The crisis began on November 4, 1979, when a group of Iranian militants stormed the US embassy in Tehran. The militants held the embassy for 444 days, demanding the extradition of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had been overthrown in the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
The US government refused to extradite the Shah, and the hostage crisis continued. During the crisis, the Iranian government held numerous press conferences and interviews in an effort to garner international support for the hostage taking. In one such press conference, then-president Abolhassan Bani-Sadr stated that "the United States will have to pay for its crimes against Iran." The Iranian government's strategy of using the media to gain support for its position was seen as an innovative approach to diplomacy at the time.
The hostage crisis ended on January 20, 1981, when the hostages were released after a deal was reached between the US and Iran. The deal stipulated that the US would not extradite the Shah, and that Iran would release the hostages. The hostages were flown to West Germany, and were eventually returned to the US.
The hostage crisis had a significant impact on US-Iran relations. The crisis led to a break in diplomatic relations between the two countries, and tensions between the two countries remain high to this day.
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