Explained: The storming of the US embassy in Iran on November 4, 1979

This incident comes two days before the 45th anniversary of the storming of the US embassy in Tehran. On November 4, 1979, militants in Iran overran the embassy and took dozens of Americans hostage, holding them captive for over 14 months.

We explain what unfolded on this day in 1979 and how this cemented the impact of the Islamic revolution on Iranian society.

How did the Islamic Revolution in 1979 simmer into widespread discontent against the US?

In February 1979, the Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, was toppled by opposition forces aligned with the Shia cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The 1978-79 Islamic Revolution ended Iran’s monarchy and replaced it with the Islamic Republic.

While the Shah was praised in the West for his modernising reforms, he was blamed in Iran for using autocratic methods, and for not doing enough to reduce economic inequality.

While Ayatollah Khomeini was stridently against the US, anger against America had simmered in Iran long before the Islamic Revolution. The CIA and the United Kingdom’s MI6 had collaborated to orchestrate the coup in which the popular Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, considered by many to stand firmly for secular values and opposition to Western interference in Iranian affairs, was overthrown in 1953.

Mosaddegh was succeeded by the leader of the coup d’état (known as the 28 Mordad coup), General Fazlollah Zahedi, a political change that strengthened the monarchical rule of the Shah.

The Shah fled Iran in January 1979 and travelled from country to country seeking safe haven. Khomeini returned from political exile on February 1.

Things came to a head in October when news reports broke of the Shah undergoing treatment in the US with the support of President Jimmy Carter’s administration. All hell broke loose in Iran.

The storming of the US embassy

On November 4, students who had initially planned a sit-in at the embassy, forced a takeover of the premises, taking 98 Americans hostage. A few hostages managed to escape and were able to leave Iran with the help of Canada’s ambassador. The students demanded the return of the deposed Shah, who was being treated at a New York hospital. They were endorsed by Ayatollah Khomeini, who hoped to exploit the popularity of the takeover to expand his regime’s power.

From November 4, 1979, the hostages remained in Iran for 444 days, until January 20, 1981.

In the first week of their detention, the Iranian militants claimed that the US diplomatic personnel were members of an “espionage unit”. In mid-November, Khomeini ordered the release of women and black hostages, as well as some non-Americans.

In April 1980, the US announced that it had unsuccessfully tried to rescue the detainees in a military operation. Iran displayed the remains of the dead American soldiers at the embassy compound, much to global chagrin.

The remaining 52 hostages were finally released on January 20, 1981, after an agreement was reached between Iran and the US. The announcement was made about 20 minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as US President.

According to some accounts, Reagan’s victory in the 1980 election was made possible by an alleged arms-for-hostages negotiation by his camp colluding with Iran to delay the release of the hostages until after the election concluded. Former Iran President, Abolhassan Banisadr, who presided over much of the hostage crisis, wrote in his book, ‘My Turn to Speak: Iran, the Revolution & Secret Deals with the U.S.’, that he had “proof of contacts between Khomeini and the supporters of Ronald Reagan as early as the spring of 1980”.

How did Iran’s landscape change after 1981?

Following the Islamic Revolution and the subsequent political crisis, Iran underwent significant changes that reshaped its social, political, and economic landscape. The new regime, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, implemented strict Islamic laws and regulations, drastically altering the daily lives of Iranian citizens. This included the enforcement of mandatory hijab for women, restrictions on Western influences, and a shift towards a more conservative interpretation of Islamic principles in governance and society.

The economic system was also restructured, with the government taking control of many industries and implementing policies aimed at self-sufficiency. International relations were severely impacted, particularly with Western nations, leading to decades of isolation and sanctions. These changes had far-reaching consequences for Iran’s development, its role in global politics, and the lives of its citizens.

In recent years, Iran has seen country-wide protests for women’s rights. In 2022, there was an international outcry following the custodial death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for wearing her hijab ‘improperly’. The ensuing Woman, Life, Freedom movement saw women removing their hijabs in public, cutting their hair, and demanding greater freedoms.

The Iranian government’s response to these protests was severe, resulting in numerous arrests, injuries, and reported deaths. Despite the crackdown, the movement has continued to resonate both within Iran and internationally, drawing attention to the ongoing struggle for women’s rights in the country.

This is an updated version of an explainer published in 2019.