The very controversial Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic one that lasted from the 4th of November, 1979 to the 20th of January, 1981. Amidst the controversy were the members of the 'Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line'. They were a group of militant university students who were supported by the 'New Islamic Regime'. They held 63 diplomats and three U.S. Citizens hostage in the American Diplomatic Mission, in Tehran, in Iran. Fifty two people were held hostage until the conclusion of the crisis in 1981. The United States of America did attempt a special rescue operation nicknamed 'Operation Eagle Claw'. However, the operation failed and resulted in the deaths of five USAF personnel and three US Marines. Some politicians argue that the crisis was also the cause of the US President, Jimmy Carter's defeat in the Presidential Elections of 1980. The crisis only reached its conclusion with the signing of the 'Algiers Accord, between the officials of the two countries. The hostages were finally released after 444 days in captivity and this took place minutes after President Ronald Reagan was officially sworn in. The sensitivity of the issue between the occidental and oriental differences helped both sides to create a new understanding of the situations and religious influences within the communities involved.
