US involvement in Iran 1975 to 1985

  • Congress announces foreign policy

    Congress began to require reports on human rights conditions in countries receiving American aid. Though, the US policy has historically supported many counrties that hold power through means of violations of human rights, like Iran.
  • Period: to

    US involvement in Iran

    Ignore dates, focus on years
  • President Carter visits Iran

    Carter went to Iran to demonstrate American support for the country, ignoring the shah's violations of human rights to hold power, like many of the presidents before him.
  • Iranians start revolting against the shah

    Though popular among wealthy Iranians, many of the poor had little respect for him. Led by the clergy and emboldened by want, the masses of Iranians turned against the shah and his Westernization policies, by now, they had gained force.
  • The shah flees to Eygpt

    After fleeing, a new government of Iran was formed by an exiled religious leader, Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini who said the US was no good. After the US let the shah come to the country, relations got even worse.
  • Iranians invade American emmbassy

    Stationed in Teheran, the invasion 66 Americans were captured, with only 13 being able to be freed in a few weeks, the rest were held hostage for 444 days. Since Iran was not a stable country,
    negotiating wouldn't be easy.
  • USSR send tanks into Afghanistan

    This made the US foreign policy problems worse. Carter responce, the embargo of grain and high-technology exports to the Soviet Union. They gradually withdrew the troops from there.
  • President Carter leaves office

    Humiliated by having to use force to free the hostages, Carter left office, after which Ronald Reagan steped up for presidency. Many people reguard his presidency as a failure, due to what he failed to accomplish with the Iranian hostage crisis.