The Iran Hostage Crisis lasted for 444 days and went from 4 November 1979 to 20 January 1981. This crisis happened only after a long time friend and ally, the Shah of Iran, was ousted from power and left Iran in January 1979. A revolutionary leader named Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini came to power in Iran when he returned in February 1979. Khomeini started rhetoric against the United States as the "Great Satan" that provided young Iranian students a reason to storm the U.S. Embassy and take 66 people hostage. Fourteen people where released during the hostage crisis leaving 52 remaining. (1)…
Imagine being held hostage for four hundred and forty four days. The thought alone is scary but this was reality for Fifty-three Americans when they was held hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran. This was a tough situation because America and Iran had bigger problems to deal with. Insurgency broke out and former King Reza Shah Pahlavi was forced into exile by the people of Iran. The United States backed the former King and when Pahlavi came to America looking for refuge this caused a serious situation. The United States learned that Pahlavi had cancer and made a choice to let him in for treatment. This angered the people of Iran and forced Iranian students to protest outside of the American embassy. On November 4th, 1979 the students decided to storm the Embassy creating the four hundred and forty-four day suffering. Pahlavi was forced into exile and the people of Iran welcomed Ayatollah Khomeini, a revolutionist who had been in exile. Although Khomeini did not take part in the overthrow, he indirectly supported the Iran Hostage Crisis with no intent to prevent or stop the crisis. One of the major reasons of the Iran Hostage Crisis was the fact that we were interest in oil.…
In the early morning of November 4, 1979 an angry mob of Islamic revolutionaries overran the US Embassy in Tehran, “the group called themselves the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line” (History, Unknown). The Iran Hostage Crisis was also known as “Conquest of the American Spy Den” which is the literal translation from Persian to English (Lee). From November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days in various locations around Iran to make it hard for the United States government to know exactly where the hostages were located (Amies). After failed attempts to negotiate the release of the hostages, the United States attempted to rescue the hostages. In 1979, Iran revolutionists…
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States. Fifty-two US citizens were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamic students and militants took over the Embassy of the United States in support of the Iranian Revolution. Sixty-six Americans were taken captive when Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, including three who were at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Six more Americans escaped and of the 66 who were taken hostage, 13 were released on November 19 and 20, 1979; one was released on July 11, 1980. Start 1953 coup In February 1979, less than a year before the hostage crisis, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, had been overthrown in a revolution. For several decades before that, the United States had been an ally and backer of the Shah. During World War II, Allied powers Britain and the Soviet Union occupied Iran and required Reza Shah the existing Shan of Iran to abdicate in favor of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The invasion was allegedly in fear that Reza Shah was about to align his petroleum-rich country with Nazi Germany during the war: However, Reza Shah 's earlier Declaration of Neutrality and refusal to allow Iranian territory to be used to train, supply, and act as a transport corridor to ship arms to Russia for its war effort against Germany, was the strongest motive for the allied invasion of Iran. Because of its importance in the allied victory, Iran was subsequently called "The Bridge of Victory" by Winston Churchill. By the 1950s, the Shah was engaged in a power struggle with Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq, an immediate descendant of the previous monarchy, the Qajar dynasty. In 1953, the British and U.S. spy agencies deposed the democratically-elected government of Mossadegh in a military coup d 'état codenamed Operation Ajax, and restored the Shah as an absolute monarch. The anti-democratic coup…
In 1985, The Iran and Iraq war is feuding overseas and America had an embargo against selling arms to Iran. Our President was Ronald Reagan and the National Security Adviser was Robert McFarlane. “Iran made a secret request to buy weapons from the United States, McFarlane sought Reagan 's approval” McFarlane told Reagan “that the sale of arms would not only improve U.S. relations with Iran, but might in turn lead to improved relations with Lebanon, increasing U.S. influence in the troubled Middle East.” Reagan was having trouble with Lebanon the Iranian terrorist had Seven American hostages being held in Lebanon. Reagan was frustrated that he couldn’t bring these American hostages back home he believed that it was his duty. The U.S. an Iran were going to have to make a deal missiles for the hostages the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State were against making the deal but Reagan, McFarlane and the CIA director were all for the deal. Since Reagan backed the deal 1,500 missiles were shipped to Iran. The Iranian terrorist released three hostages but later captured three more.…
Sick, See G. “Iran hostage crisis.” Infoplease. Pearson Education, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. .…
On David Farber's book Taken Hostage, Farber informs us about the Iran Hostage Crisis and America's First Encounter with Radical Islam. This book tells us how the United States and Iran got into conflict, leading to the Iranians holding American Embassy members hostage as revenge for them feeling betrayed by the United States. It also informs us about other events that occurred in a decade that caused the United States many problems.…
In 1953 the Central Intelligence Agency working in tandem with British intelligence overthrew the democratically elected leader of Iran Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, who was educated in the West and pro-America. Shortly after being elected in 1951 he nationalized the British run oil fields, denying Britain control of Iran’s hugely lucrative oil infrastructure. The operation included the use of techniques such as; propaganda, bribery, engineered demonstrations using agents of influence, and false flag operations. “The CIA’s agents harassed religious leaders and bombed one’s home in order to turn them against Mossadeqh.” They also attacked mosques, and distributed phony anti-Mossadegh handbills. Mossadegh was arrested and spent the rest of his days under house arrest. The Shah was reinstated, the West regained control of the oil fields, and the CIA created the Iranian secret police, SAVAK, and a twenty-five year reign of terror and torture commenced. The operation was seen as a huge success towards western intelligence agencies, but it was just one small operation of continued foreign influence in Iran. Most importantly, the decision to overthrow Mossadegh was to preserve Western control of Iran’s oil by reinstating the Shah who was friendly towards the West. The excuse for American involvement was a perceived communist threat. Further justifications for the overthrow include; the failure of diplomacy, the approval by the Shah, Mossadegh’s alienation, and Eisenhower and Churchill coming to power.…
It was apparent the emotional and political connection the JCS, and other policymakers had to the Iran Hostage Crisis. In the beginning stages of the crisis in Grenada, they were fearful of a possible reoccurrence of what happened at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran. This caused them to act in such a haste, to launch a military operation without adequate intelligence or a proper communications plan outlined. By October 19, 1983, just seven days after the coup to that removed Maurice Bishop from power, a decision was made to implement two types of military operations, NEO and combat operations. U.S. officials never weighed the potential risk of not allowing sufficient time for intelligence collection or addressing the communication issues between services.…
When I watched the hostage drama, I noticed that there are a lot of mistakes done by the policemen who are surrounding the bus. One of the police and snipers took a gunshot without assurance that no hostage victims will be hurt and causing the hostage taker to get angry. They didn’t use a device like periscope that will view the interior of the bus without seeing them by the hostage taker. Other police that was trying to break glass window using big hammer but in disgrace, the police made it throw inside the bus because it’s heavy. Another mistake done by the policeman…
In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans were taken hostage. However, six managed to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA was eventually ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devised a daring plan: to create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood contacts, Mendez created the ruse and proceed to Iran as its associate producer. However, time was running out with the Iranian security forces closing in on the truth while both his charges and the White House had grave doubts about the operation themselves. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)…
Document 4 – Oliver North tells the national security advisor that he plans to continue the war if they decide to shut down the operations by using funds from Saudi Arabia.…
Since 1908, the United States have repositioned their foreign interests towards the Middle East for the abundance of Petroleum within the region. Attracting the west, Britain and the United States have maintained a dominating role in Iran for their rich supply of oil. In 1953, Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh nationalized the Iranian oil fields. The United States responded by implementing a coup d’état in Iran, overthrowing Mossadegh, and placing “Shah” Reza Pahlavi in power. With a steady flow of oil and luxuries being sold to the United States, the Shah brought prosperity to Iran. However, there was a growing resentment towards the Shah from the Shi’ite Muslims community for allowing western influence into Iran. This was the beginning of a turbulent relationship between the U.S. and Iranian governments. Relations escalated to the point where radical Muslims led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah, who sought refuge to America in the 1979 Iranian revolution. The radicals then stormed the American embassy in Tehran, seizing more than 60 Americans hostages in what is now known as the Iranian Hostage Crisis. The hostage crisis was the most heated in a series of issues that arose during the last year of Carter’s presidency. Many Americans wondered if Jimmy Carter was at fault for the crisis. Gaddis Smith, an American historian, described the situation in the following quote: “President Carter inherited an impossible situation and he and his advisors made the worst of it” (PBS.org). Smith’s statement is an accurate summarization of Carter’s actions during the hostage crisis. Carters failed rescue mission known as Operation “Eagle Claw”, the emergence of the American media, and the rising gas prices due to the relations between the countries frustrated American people, as well as hurt Jimmy Carter’s image. When the presidential election of 1980 occurred, American people were anticipating a battle for…
The relationship between the American people and their government drastically changed in the 1970s. The people began to distrust their government after The Watergate Scandal, oil prices, and the falling economy. President Jimmy Carter, elected in 1976 was seen by the public as an honest man that was working for the people not for the evils of Washington DC. Carter, being an outsider, grew very popular with the American people. His lack of insider perspective became troublesome when he could not explain his clear motives and direction he was taking America. This not only caused tension within his own administration, but also caused the American people to regain the feeling of mistrust they once felt with Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Carter was unable to help with the economic problems nor properly able to negotiate the release of the American hostages in Iran, sealing his fate for a second term. Taken Hostage written by David Farber gives an adequate and well-researched report on the Iranian Hostage Crisis. He explains exactly how and why the hostages were taken as well as many of the issues of the time. One of these issues included the people’s portrayal of President Carter as incapable and ill equipped to help improve American life style as well as his powerless attempts at negotiating for the American hostages. Farber also discussed the reactions of both the American and Iranian people during the crisis, and how the media played up these reactions and events in order to get people more hyped and involved in the crisis.…
For most Americans, the story begins in 1979 with the Iranian Hostage Crisis, when a group of revolutionary university students took over the American Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and held 52 American diplomats, intelligence officers and Marines hostage for 444 days. But for most Iranians, and to fully understand the repercussions of this aforementioned event, the story begins almost three decades prior, in 1953. This was the year that the United States overthrew the recently established democracy in Iran, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. He had become very popular in the country for having the ambition to finally take advantage of the wealth that Iran needed to grow by nationalizing his country’s oil supply, which was for the previous 50 years under the control of the British Petroleum company. By proving that Mossadegh’s regime was relying on the communist party of Iran for power, and in turn not wanting to lose Iran as an ally in the Cold War against the Soviet Union, England was able to persuade the U.S. to assist in engineering a coup d’état against the new Iranian democracy and return Iran to its previous Pahlavi dynasty. Through what was named “Operation Ajax”, the CIA and MI6 reinstalled the Shah and instituted a pro-U.S. dictatorship of Iran that was willing to comply to Western interests in regards to the vast oil supply that the “British and American corporations had controlled the bulk of almost since their discovery” 1.…