History help on Iran please help greatly appreciated?

Question

Iranian students held Americans hostage for over 400 days in the late 1970s. Why was Iran so anti-American?

Answer 1

The US had supported the Shah for years. Taking over the American embassy was to punish us for our role. It was a religious overthrow and both the Shah's government and the United States were notoriously secular. That the Shah laid a heavy hand on the people with his secret police didn't help, but Saddam pulled it off for several decades by riding much harder on his people. As the Iranians themselves found out, by deposing the Shah for a religious government was jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

I remember because two of my friends in college were from there. One's father was a Shah-supporting legislator. His family was in great trouble when the Shah was deposed. The other's father ran a factory and didn't care, but business was dismal and difficult afterwards.

Answer 2

Here is information on the group that held the hostages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Student_Followers_of_the_Imam%27s_Line

The United states had put M. Reza Shah into power in Iran and he greatly modernized the country but at some costs. These people wanted to put Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in power.

Answer 3

Because the americans had sustained in power the corrupt and repressive Shah of Iran who they supported for his oil reserves and the fact that Iran was a useful place to spy on the Soviet Union

Answer 4

Usual stuff. Resentment at US interference.