The American Hostage Crisis in Iran was caused in part by

The American Hostage Crisis in Iran, which began on November 4, 1979, was caused in part by deep-seated anger at the United States' involvement in Iranian affairs, especially the CIA's role in orchestrating the 1953 coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Moreover, the immediate trigger for the hostage-taking was the United States' decision to allow the deposed Shah, who had been forced to leave Iran following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, to enter the U.S. for cancer treatment. This act was perceived by many Iranians as America once again interfering in their internal affairs and protecting a leader they considered a dictator responsible for various human rights abuses.

The background to the American Hostage Crisis can be traced back to a series of political events involving Iran and the United States. The crisis itself unfolded when a group of Iranian students, affiliated with the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, took 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The Iranians demanded the extradition of the Shah back to Iran to face trial and the return of his wealth to the Iranian people. The Shah had been a close ally of the United States during his rule, and his regime was heavily supported by U.S. military and economic aid.

The resulting 444-day crisis, which ended on January 20, 1981, brought U.S.-Iranian relations to a standstill and led to widespread condemnation from the international community. It also had significant implications for the U.S. domestic politics, contributing to the defeat of President Jimmy Carter in his re-election bid. The crisis also emphasized the depth of the Iranian revolution's antipathy towards the United States, which in turn shaped the revolutionary government's foreign policy stance as highly suspicious of Western interference. This historic event demonstrated how past foreign policy decisions can have long-standing consequences for international relations.