What foreign issue in Iran caused turmoil for president Carter

The foreign issue in Iran that caused significant turmoil for President Jimmy Carter was the Iran hostage crisis. This crisis began on November 4, 1979, when a group of Iranian students, who supported the Iranian Revolution, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage. The hostages were held for 444 days, and during this period, President Carter faced immense pressure domestically and internationally to secure their safe release.

The crisis was precipitated by complex factors, including the longstanding resentment among many Iranians towards the United States' support of the recently overthrown Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had been reinstalled by a CIA-backed coup in 1953 after a brief period when Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh had been in power following a democratic election.

Carter's administration attempted to negotiate for the hostages' release and also mounted a failed rescue operation, Operation Eagle Claw, in April 1980, which ended in disaster when helicopters crashed in the desert, killing eight American servicemen.

The combination of the hostage crisis, the failed rescue operation, and the perception of U.S. weakness under Carter's leadership contributed to his defeat in the 1980 presidential election. The hostages were ultimately released on January 20, 1981, just minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as Carter's successor.

Extra: Understanding the Iran hostage crisis is important for grasping the complexities of U.S.-Iran relations and the impact it had on U.S. politics. Since the U.S. helped reinstall the Shah in 1953, there was simmering tension between the two nations. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 led to the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the U.S. losing an ally in the Shah, who had been a stabilizing force in the oil-rich region from the U.S. perspective.

President Carter allowed the Shah to enter the United States for cancer treatment, which was a major cause of anger for the revolutionaries, who wanted the Shah to return to Iran and face trial for his actions while in power.

The trauma of the hostage crisis created a pervasive sense of crisis in the United States, contributing to a broader loss of confidence in the government and impacting how the electorate viewed Carter's capability to lead the nation effectively. It highlights the importance of foreign policy and how international events can have a significant impact on domestic politics and the electoral fortunes of politicians.