Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis was a crisis between Iran and the US. Fifty-two US citizens were held hostage for 444 days (November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981.) Iran students and militants took captured 66 americans. Six people escaped and the rest were released after few days. The fifty-two people that were held hostage were released exactly when Ronald Reagan was taking over for Jimmy Carter. After Shah had left because the Iran people did not like him because he wanted western ways, so Ayatollah Khomeini was the new ruler and he said the American government was "The Great Satan." Shah was diagnosed with lymphomia and asked to be treated by US doctors and they did. This was all Khomoneini could handle. He now wanted to seize the Embassy.
Around 6:30 the morning of November 4, 300 to 500 students were chosen to do this mission they had planned on the Embassy. One female student was given metal cutters to cut the front gate of the embassy. They told the guards they don’t mean any harm. After the first people broke into the gate, buses full of others showed up. The Iran people blindfolded the embassy workers and took them to be held hostage. Keeping people hostage was not meant to be for long but since this situation turned out to be a big thing and it was supported by Khomeini, they continued on with it. Six escaped and found refuge in a nearby embassy. They later left the country.
The hostages were held at the embassy, then later moved to iran in buildings so they would be harder to rescue. They slept in dining rooms. Later, the hostages were moved to prisons in Tehran so they could not escape or anything. The final place they were held was at the Teymour Bakhtiari mansion in Tehran. In this mansion, they were provided with showers and water. Also, the hostages described their life as a life with beatings, theft, having their hands bound "day and night" for days long periods of solitary confinement and months of being forbidden to speak to one another, or stand, walk, and leave their space unless they were going to the bathroom. The hostages were threatened repeatedly with execution, and they took it seriously.
This crisis made the US unite like they never have before. The US made it hard on Iran. Oil imports were not allowed. Also, about $8 billion of iran’s assets were frozen.
There was several hostage release attempts. When Shah died, Iran was more lenient on letting the hostages go. Also, operation eagle claw was tried but failed.
I think the US staying united during this time was a very important thing to do to release these hostages. After the hostages were released and gifts were given to them, that is an awesome thing for the US to do for those people.
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