Iran Hostage Crisis
By: Alaina and Nelson
On November 4, 1979 a group of Iranian students raided the U.S. Embassy in Tehran taking about 66 American hostages. It was a way for the student revolutionaries to forget Iran’s past and end American interference in its issues.The tension between Iran and the U.S. stemmed from an intense conflict over oil.Ending the Hostage Crisis soon became President JImmy iCarter's main priorities. President Carter’s inability to resolve the problem made him look like a weak and ineffectual leader.At the same time, his intense focus on bringing the hostages home kept him away from the campaign trail.
In February of 1980, the Iranian government issued a set of demands for freeing the hostages. They demanded the return of the former Shah to Iran, and an apology for past American actions in Iran and a promise to not to interfere in the future.On January 20, 1981, the day of President Reagan's inauguration the hostages were freed in exchange for 8 billion dollars worth of Iranian assets and immunity from lawsuits Iran might have faced.The hostages and their families tried to sue Iran, unsuccessfully under the Antiterrorism Act. They o won the case when Iran failed to provide defense, but the U.S. State Department tried to put an end to the suit, fearing that it would make international relations difficult.