The details of the disaster:
The disaster itself began when Iranian students stormed the US embassy early on November 4, 1979; what was supposed to be a short-lived protest to highlight opposition to US interference in Middle-Eastern affairs (especially America’s involvement with the ousted Shah) eventually turned into a 444 day long ordeal. Though some of the embassy staff were initially released, 52 diplomats and citizens remained under captivity until January 20, 1981. The students were driven by political motives but had clear religious support, as the radical Muslim factions (headed by Ayatollah Khomeini) gave the perpetrators of the crisis their express approval.1
The following timeline of the Iranian Hostage Crisis was adopted from a CNN special report on the subject:
1978 – Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi’s authoritarian rule, which was enabled in part by a US-orchestrated and assisted coup, sparks demonstrations and riots among Iranian citizens.
January 16, 1979 – The Shah flees Iran and goes to Egypt.
February 1, 1979 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the foremost religious and political leader of Shiite Islam, returns to Iran after 14 years in exile, to reassert leadership of the country.
October 22, 1979 – The Shah is allowed to enter the United States to receive medical treatment for cancer.
November 4, 1979 – Iranian students storm the American embassy in Tehran and take 90 people hostage, including 66 Americans, demanding the extradition of the Shah from the United States. Ayatollah Khomeini issues a statement of support for the students’ actions.
November 5, 1979 – The Iranian government cancels military treaties with the U.S. and the Soviet Union, treaties that would have permitted U.S. or Soviet military intervention.
November 6, 1979 – Premier Mehdi Bazargan and his government resign, leaving Ayatollah Khomeini and the Revolutionary Council in uncontested power.
November 7, 1979 – President Jimmy Carter sends former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and Senate Intelligence Committee staff director William Miller to Iran to negotiate the release of the hostages. Ayatollah Khomeini refuses to meet with them.
November 14, 1979 – President Carter orders a freeze on Iranian assets in U.S. banks.
November 17, 1979 – Khomeini orders the release of female and African-American hostages. They are released November 19 and 20, bringing the total number of U.S. hostages to 53.
December 4, 1979 – The United Nations Security Council passes a resolution calling for Iran to release the hostages.
December 15, 1979 – The Shah leaves the United States for treatment in Panama.
January 28, 1980 – Six American embassy employees, who avoided capture and hid in the homes of Canadian Embassy officers, flee Iran. In 1997 it is revealed that, along with the Canadian government, the CIA made the escape possible. This came to be known as the Canadian caper, and was the event that was captured in the film Argo.
March 1980 – The Shah returns to Egypt.
April 7, 1980 – President Carter cuts diplomatic ties with Iran, announcing further sanctions and ordering all Iranian diplomats to leave the United States.
April 25, 1980 – Eight U.S. servicemen are killed when a helicopter and a transport plane collide during a failed attempt to rescue the hostages – operation Eagle Claw becomes infamous as a severely botched mission.
July 11, 1980 – Another hostage is released due to illness. The total number of U.S. hostages is now 52.
July 27, 1980 – The Shah dies of cancer in Egypt.
September 12, 1980 – Ayatollah Khomeini sets new terms for the hostages’ release, including the return of the late Shah’s wealth and the unfreezing of all Iranian assets.
November 1980-January 1981 – Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher and his delegation work through mediators in Algeria to negotiate the release of the hostages.
January 19, 1981 – The United States and Iran sign an agreement to release the hostages and unfreeze Iranian assets.
January 20, 1981 – The remaining 52 U.S. hostages are released and flown to Wiesbaden Air Base in Germany.2