What led to the Islamist Revolution holding Americans hostage for 444 days?

Question

They didn't just say lets go take Americans hostage. So what actions led to the Iranians taking action against the Americans? Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

What actions of the American government led to the hostage taking crisis?

I am glad to see that a few people have knowledge that the US, and actions in their interest, have caused some of the problems we face today with Iran. We received a forty percent stake in Iranian oil with that CIA backed coup, we had none before. President Truman turned down the British in their quest in 1952. President Eisenhower in 1953 picked up the ball and ran with it. Yet everday I see people on here stating that we should go to war with Iran. That they are evil and they state the Iranian hostage crisis as proof. They also forget that we backed Saddam Hussein with finances and military aid in his war with Iran in retaliation for the hostage crisis that we caused by the covert actions of our government.
Those that live by the sword, shall also perish by the sword. Now look up CIA led coup in Iraq 1963 and 1968.

Answer 1

The immediate cause was that hostage-takers (and the Iranian government) wanted teh former Shah of Iran returned to Iran. We got sucked into it because the US had granted him entry for medical care--essentially a humanitarian gesture, since he was dying.

The main reason was that 25 years previosly, the United States (via the CIA) engineered the oberthrwow of the democratic government of Iran and put the Shah in power. The reason is that the government of Iran had been more or less leftist, and the US was afraid they would work with the USSR instead of the US.

Given this history, the Iranian people understandably held a grudge against the US--especially since the Shah was a brutal dictator who killed an estimated 100,000 Iranians during hs reign. The current animosity between Iran and the US thus has a history that goes way back--and the nutjob who is in charge of Iran is exploiting that for his own advantage. Pretty much the same is true of the nutjob running the US.

Answer 2

Oh My Gosh! There really ARE people who know about Operation Ajax and what we did in Iran in the 50's which resulted in the hostage crisis later. When i started reading the answers and saw people blaming Carter for the hostage crisis, it made me cringe, but hope was restored as I kept reading.
People need to know that the corrupt Shah had been forced back to power before (by the CIA) and the hostage takers were just students who wanted to ensure that this did not happen again. They wanted a revolution, just like they did in 1953. Except this time, when we realized that the Shah was not going to be pushed back into place, we gave the nod to the turban heads to be facilitated into power because we feared a Soviet spread South as we'd seen in Afghanistan. The fact that this has all come back to bite us in the rear is not anyone's fault but ours.
These imperialistic exploits are going to be our undoing, unless we stop and redeem ourselves.
Thanks for raising awareness about these issues. The exposure to truth is very important, even if it's to a few people at a time. The more good questions and CORRECT answers the better.

Answer 3

The US and the UK overthrew a democratically elected government in the 50's that threatened to nationalize Iran's oil industry and the strongest opposition group was Islamic Fundamentalists. When they overthrew the Shaw, they also invaded our Embassy and took the hostages. They were aloud to do this because the President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, refused to allow the Marine guards to defend it or themselves. It was a black 444 days!

Answer 4

Start with the US intervention in Iran's politics. Go to when Britain was upset about the newly formed Anglo-Iranian Oil company and stopped all royalty payments to Iran. Then the US allowed the Shah to come to New York for medical treatment. Throw in a group of crazy Islamic fundamentalists, and you have a recipe for the hostage crisis. My opinion, Carter should have never allowed the Shah to come here for treatment. It opened up a huge can of worms that innocents paid for.

Answer 5

Oh My Gosh! There truly ARE people who know approximately Operation Ajax and what we did in Iran interior the 50's which resulted interior the hostage disaster later. while i began examining the solutions and observed human beings blaming Carter for the hostage disaster, it made me draw back, yet wish became restored as I saved examining. human beings could renowned that the corrupt Shah were compelled returned to potential previously (by potential of the CIA) and the hostage takers have been basically pupils who wanted to verify that this did not take place returned. They wanted a revolution, basically like they did in 1953. different than this time, as quickly as we found out that the Shah became unlikely to be pushed returned into place, we gave the nod to the turban heads to be facilitated into potential as a results of fact we feared a Soviet unfold South as we'd considered in Afghanistan. the reality that this has all come back to chew us interior the rear is no person's fault yet ours. those imperialistic exploits are going to be our undoing, till we stop and redeem ourselves. thank you for raising understanding approximately those themes. The exposure to fact is fairly significant, whether that's to 3 human beings at a time. The extra sturdy questions and terrific suited solutions the extra ideal.

Answer 6

In 1953, a coup aided and abetted by the CIA to appease US corporate interests (oil companies) overthrew the duly elected government of Iran and installed the Shaw. The Shaw was a corrupt dictator who took bribes from oil companies and killed and tortured his enemies. He was overthrown by the revolution and whisked out of the country by the US. Iran then overran our embassy and took our personnel hostage. If we had returned the Shaw to Iran for prosecution (and most likely execution) than Iran would have released the hostages. As it was the Shaw died in exile and Iran released the hostages rather than risk getting bombed by the newly-elected Reagan administration.

Answer 7

After the Iranian revolution, the group that eventually took over the US embassy was split between occupying the Soviet or the US embassy. After the Shah was admitted to the US for treatment at the Mayo Clinic, it was decided to occupy the US Embassy. The original plan was just to do it for a few hours, just to publicize their grievances and demands, and to make a point. Obviously things changed after this idea.

Answer 8

We supported the policies of the Shah of Iran for decades so that we could maintain a political foothold in that area. But the Shah was a despot who oppressed his people and did not give enough ear to fundamentalist power. Murder, torture, loss of most rights, and over-extravagance did not inspire the people of Iran to love this monster. Our little friend, the Shah.

We were stupid enough to ignore that. However, they had NO right to seize foreign nationals and keep hostages, and it was completely evil of the Ayatollah to allow it. I'm not forgiving it. But I understand it.

Answer 9

The Shah and his secret police.

Answer 10

They hated carter and refused to let them go until he was gone. We went in there to try to rescue them many times but were only embarassed. I'm pretty sure im right.