The Iran Hostage Crisis Begins
Iranian students seized the United States embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979.
Published · Updated · 1 min read
The Event
Iranian students seized the United States embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979. American personnel were taken hostage during the upheaval following Iran's revolution.
The Wider Story
The crisis developed into a prolonged confrontation between the two governments. Fifty-two Americans were eventually held for 444 days, until January 1981.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The embassy seizure, the failed American rescue attempt and the final release happened on different dates.
Reading the Historical Record
A recreation of the first day should not portray a successful rescue or imply that all embassy personnel had identical experiences.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: the exterior perimeter of the American embassy in Tehran in 1979, distant crowd without identifiable hostages. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
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